Resurrection
by TheWingsoftheHouseofBlack
Summary: What if Harry Potter died? What if he discovered he had been a 7000 year old vampire? What if said vampire had more than just the average bloodsucking in his past? Trouble lurks on the horizon, what's a vamp to do? SLASH HPSS
1. Prolouge

It's short, it's simple, and I'm terribly sorry for it all, just, curses, I need a really good beta, and I seem to find myself short of one, it's very disconcerting. (sighs) But there is something that can make me feel better... there's this really neat little button, it's at the bottom left of your screen... no, not that left, the other left, yes, that one, it says: Submit Review, yes that's the one, there, now, click it and give me your opinions, please.

Disclaimer: I own not a thing, if I did, people would recognize me if I walked down a street, I would be able to write brilliant manuscripts in two years' time, and I would know what the bleedin' hell would happen in the seventh book!_

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_What am I doing here?_ So were the thoughts of the famous Boy-Who-Lived as he walked down the deserted alley, it was a cool night, even for summer, and the breeze made him shiver and pull his windbreaker closer to his body. His bright emerald eyes darted from one dark patch to the next as the moonless night began to take its toll on his sleep deprived head, he was seeing monsters on every corner, Voldemort's minions standing in shadows and Dark Marks flashing in an empty sky. _Dammit, dammit, dammit._ He thought, _I never should have left this late, I'll get myself killed for sure._ But he couldn't have helped himself, he needed space, a place to move around, and the bedroom wasn't going to cut it when he became antsy like that. He sighed, deciding to turn and go back to Privet Drive, at least for now anyways, before something bad happened, like… Like that.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Potter, a-wandering about, late at night, without his precious Headmaster to protect him." The sordid voice of Bellatrix Lestrange floated towards him from the mouth of the alley.

He immediately whipped out his wand, prepared to make her hurt to alleviate some of his own pain, what was that saying again? An eye for an eye…

"Potter." A low chuckle was issued, a voice he immediately identified as Lucius Malfoy, from behind him. The soft sounds of Apparition began to echo around him as more and more Death Eaters arrived on the scene.

Harry desperately searched for a way out, but to his dismay, none appeared to him, "No!" He snarled, sending off a powerful bout of spells, ricocheting them off walls, and putting all his training over his sixth year into play.

But to no avail, he was struck from behind by a simple stunning charm and he collapsed, aware of everything around him, as Lucius came close, limping badly from the nasty Breaking Hex Harry had hit him with, "You, boy, are going to die tonight." He hissed.

And he was right. The Boy-Who-Lived did indeed, die.

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My mother once told me, it was okay to give opinions, so long as no one was hurt. I like to repeat that phrase enough in hopes that people would get used to the idea of REVIEWING! 


	2. And the Dead Doth Walk

Hello, ppls! I'm back! Yay, another chapter for me, up and running, functioning at last! (Does happy dance) I still need a beta, someone, anyone, please help me! And in other news... Something else that you can review for me! Please?

Disclaimer: I own not a thing, if I did, people would recognize me if I walked down a street, I would be able to write brilliant manuscripts in two years' time, and I would know what the bleedin' hell would happen in the seventh book!

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Green eyes flashed open and a flash of pain seared through Helios' head. He groaned, rolling onto his stomach, his nose twitching as he took in the new smells rushing his system, the scent of a dog's clear marking of territory, garbage wafting from the dumpster next to him, his Aunt and Uncle's place, full of fear, and blood. "Urgh, the world smelled better 500 years ago." He said softly, shaking his head again, blinking in the light, even though the stars were still out… He muffled a startled gasp; it was still night, judging from the absence of the moon, it was still the same night… or a month had passed, but if it had, someone would have discovered him, can't have a dead body lying around, right? He sighed, getting to his feet, when an uncomfortable feeling shot through his back, he winced, reaching behind himself to feel the hilt of a very long knife protruding from beneath his vertebrae, "Ugh! Stupid mortal self! What was the first 'duh' rule for any hero? Don't turn your back to the enemy!" He yanked out the blade viciously and hissed as the pain shot through his body as the wound slowly closed, "Idiot!" he muttered darkly to himself. He stood, brushing off his dirty pants and shaking out his shirt… he did a double take looking down at his clothing, "Aiee! What is this! What is _this?_" He tugged at his pants in disdain, "_Well,_ someone hasn't shopped decently in these past seventeen pathetic years. Yuck!" He sneered at himself before turning on his heel and stalking the rest of the way down the alley, throwing open the Dursley's door and storming inside, "You! You filthy, dirty, _Morgles! _Wait… mortal Muggles." He corrected himself, straightening his tattered shirt, "I have had enough of you, and your nasty, disgusting ways, _move._" His green eyes narrowed at Vernon, who had dared block the way to his trunk, "You, you think that you're going to stop me?"

"You're not allowed to do that stuff out of your freak school." Vernon said nastily, his podgy purple face moving right up into His.

"You idiot, I don't need a _nastystick _to do magic." He snarled.

"Harry Potter you dirty freak, you will not…" Vernon couldn't finish his sentence due to the clutching hand that fell to his throat and lifted him from the floor.

"You foolish _mortal_, I'm no longer Harry Potter; I am Helios, master of thousands upon thousands, vampire of the ages." He growled, throwing Vernon away from him. He waved his hand and the door to the cupboard under the stairs flew open, hitting the wall with a thunderous crash. He grabbed his trunk and walked out, throwing one last scornful look at the Dursley's before walking out into the street and shoving out his wand.

A loud BANG at the end of the street signalled the arrival of the one and only Knight Bus, Ernie at the wheel and Stan Shunpike standing in the doorway, "Well, 'ello Neville!" He said loudly, ushering Helios onto the bus, "Where ye be off te toda'?" he asked.

"Diagon Alley." He said, brushing past the exuberant young man and perching on one of the beds and dropping a bit of money he had in his trunk into the collector's hand, "Keep the change."

"Yessir, 'ot chocolate?"

"No." Harry lay down and relaxed against the pillows allowing his mind to drift as his bed did, back and forth (Except a little more gently) from one end to the other. Now this whole business of Voldemort had Harry a little miffed, why couldn't his mortal self get rid of this guy? Honestly, he could probably take him out pronto, like a bear steps on an ant. Immortality did have its perks.

Harry awoke sometime later, shaken by the pay collector and it took all of his willpower not to reach up and snap the imbecile's neck. He would never know how close to death he came that night, as Harry gathered his belongings and stumbled off the bus with a wide yawn. He blinked and went into the Leaky Cauldron, asking for a room for a few nights and totting up the stairs, exhausted as he was, before falling into a bed with a soft 'fwump' and promptly dropping back off to sleep.

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OK, this is where you hit that button, right there on the bottom left of your screen that says review. 


	3. The Dark Place

Hello! I'm back! Now, in response to your reviews:

**Paula**: I thank you for the review, but did you have to post it six times, if it was a glitch I understand and I apologise if I was rude.

**AutumnBaby**: My first reviewer! Thank you, and I'm glad you like it!

**Fallen Dragon**: Thank you and here's your update

**Kyer**: I'm pretty sure that Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Slightly-Sarcastic will show up in the next chapter, if not, then the chap after that.

**WolfLady**: Thanks for the review and I'll post as soon as inspiration strikes... evil plot bunnies, they all run away when I want them around... grr...

**EyeintheSky**: You had to ask that question didn't you? Well, Harry and Helios are... the same person essentially. Harry picks up _alot_ of Helios' tendencies and there are times when Helios comes out as a separate entity entirely, mainly times when Harry is under great stress or is pressured into doing something he doesn't want to or other times when his emotional levels are high. Does that answer your question? If not, e-mail me and we'll discuss it at greater length.

**ScreamsofSilece**: Thank you!

So, there are answers to your reviews, and keep reading!

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Blood flashed before his eyes, a spatter of it on the ground at his feet, the dark stain spreading rapidly. His nose curled, "Remove the body." He said, it was a quiet command, but carried out immediately nonetheless. He sat, the chair beneath his arse was cold and hard and damn uncomfortable, but he sat in it with pride, the first to do so, the first to civilise the world such so that he may do so, therefore it was his chair to sit in, none others. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone would, or could, take it from him, he was immortal, forever in the strictest sense, a vampyr, the few the proud, or so the saying goes, there were only four of his kind, for now at least, if Damon kept up his feckless experiments then there might be more, idiot. Helios sighed, his bright green eyes sweeping the chamber, his sharp gaze met nothing out of the ordinary, pity, he could use a good spot of entertainment, some bloodshed, a little violence, a pretty boy, perhaps an educated man… dammit. There was just too little to do and too much _time_. If there was less of it… stupid notion, he tossed the thought out before it even began, cutting it down mercilessly as he had that little mongrel girl. A filthy mortal, Muggle. Disposable, to say the least, besides, she had stolen and wasn't it that Christian nonsense that said that one sin was as bad as all? Honestly, who were these people to say he was unjust, to say he was of Satan, he _was_ Satan? He chuckled at that thought, honestly, to be that god, him, perhaps he chose as he did, but it was his choice, and they didn't have to live here if they didn't want to, they could just as easily leave if they thought him so evil. 

He stood suddenly, startling his guards, good, they needed a decent scare now and then, wouldn't be any good if they weren't on their toes. He gestured for them to follow as he left, his velvet cloak flapping behind him with all of his regal intimidation. He trotted easily down the steps, a cold look on his deadly face as he walked through his city, the poor, the weak, the mortals, the muggles, the strong, the meek, the beggars, and the merchants, all stopped to move from his way as he sought his brother in the sordid masses. "Damon. Find me Damon and bring him to my quarters."

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Harry sat up with a start, his heart thundering as if he'd run a mile race, or gone a thousand laps on his broom. His eyes trailed the room for his glasses, taking in the detail on the bedspread for a moment before… wait a minute… _detail_ on a _comforter?_ He looked down again, noticing the sewing designs that swirled around in little loop-the-loops and down, disappearing into the brightness of the room. He threw the covers off himself, glancing at the clock and sighing, it was still early, six AM, well, Aunt Petunia would be throwing food through the cat-flap on his door about now, there would be tinkering in the kitchen, Dudley moving about most likely, his fat arse rubbing the ice-box as he stood at the counter. Harry sneered at the image before throwing on his disgusting clothing (what on earth had _possessed_ him to wear these _rags?)_ and walked out. The Leaky Cauldron was quiet, no witches babbling, and no wizards in dark corners talking about the re-rise of the Dark Lord and the prophesy of the beloved, Boy-Who-Lived. He scoffed at the thought, if the Ministry and Dumbledore thought that they were going… oh, the old fool was dead, "Dammit, can't even curse about him to his face." He muttered irritably, walking out into Diagon Alley, a suspicious hush had befallen the streets, no one spoke to another as they walked, not even a nod of acknowledgement or a tip of the hat from one person to another. Harry huffed, _stupid witches, dumb wizards, don't they know that by doing _this_ they create their own fear, giving the red-eyed menace even more to gloat about?_ He huffed angrily in his head as he strolled by a pet shop a black mamba caught his eye briefly before he moved on to get the things he needed… and definitely some things he wanted. He picked at his clothing again with a direct distaste, searching for a shop that had what he needed. None came to sight in the distinctly magical shops, pity really; Muggle clothing was so much more fun than magical. He sighed, entering Madame Malkin's and browsed over the distinctly finer robes, his eyes alighting on a particularly nice set of duelling robes, done in black with emerald trim around the sleeves, the collar and around the ends. He purchased it with a small grin, as well as his Hogwarts' robes, for convenience only, of course. He went back to his room, dropping off his purchases in an undignified heap, before turning on his heel and sweeping out into Muggle London.

His eyes were drawn to a small shop, perhaps a little unsavoury for the commoner types, but definitely the style he was looking for. He strode in, perhaps a little too hesitantly for the aura he was trying to present, but this mortal body was just not cutting it. He glanced around, his eyes searching the racks for… there, perfect. "Hi, I need…"

"Oh, _honey_ what on _earth_ are you _wearing?"_ The saleslady behind the desk screeched, staring blatantly at the shabby clothing that Harry wore.

"Yeah, I was hoping you could, I dunno… fix it?" Harry said, picking at the destroyed and five-sizes-too-large, apparel.

"Gorgeous, I can fix_ anything._" The lady said, coming over to him and doing a few quick measurements, "Great, now, m'name's Betty, Mr….?"

"Potter… Harry Potter." He said hesitantly, unsure of what he should say. He wasn't Helios, not anymore, but he wasn't exactly Harry either… and he was hungry… shit.

"Here." She began shoving things in his arms before he could worry too much more. Betty led him to a changing stall and quite unceremoniously sent him sprawling into it. "And don't you _dare_ come out before you look anything but drop-dead gorgeous!" She demanded and he could hear her rustling around for more clothing.

"Yes ma'am." He said, not really to anyone in particular, pulling a pair of pants out and sighing, this new persona was going to take some getting used to.

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He exited shortly thereafter, confident in his new attire, and strutting out for Betty to see. "Well?" He asked putting on a dashing smile and polishing his nails on his tee.

"Baby, honey, darlin', if only I wasn't gay…" Betty looked him up and down, her green eyes looking at him critically, as her brown hair swayed around her face.

Harry was dressed expertly in black leather trousers, slung low on his hips, enough to see the 'V' of muscle on his waist, and a clingy blood-red tee, moulding to his Quidditch muscles like a second skin, "Look okay?" he asked, brushing his shoulder-length hair out of his eyes.

"Oh, yeah. I've taken the liberty of burning those things that you thought you were calling clothes. You will _never_ see them again."

"Thank the gods for small miracles, hmm?" He said, impatiently swiping at his hair again.

"Look, my girlfriend, a bit down the way, she has a hair salon, you might want to…" She trailed off, looking at him, her eyebrow raised, "Just tell her Betty sent you, gorgeous." She winked and gave him a price for all the clothes he was intent on buying.

He merely grinned and handed her a wad of bills, walking out, laden heavily with packages and taking Betty's advice to get a hair-cut. He had discovered the length of his hair that morning in the mirror; he hadn't had time to look before and there weren't any mirrors on the Knight Bus. He sighed in relief as the salon came into view, he may be a vampire, but this many packages were _heavy_. He stumbled in, startling all of the ladies that sat in their chairs, all turning to look at him. He managed a smirk as he dropped his clothes and made his way up to the registration desk, "Could I get my hair cut? Perhaps make it look decent?" he asked sweetly as the woman gave him a critical glance.

"Betty sent you didn't she?" She asked, looking over at his bags.

"How'd you guess?"

"She always sends the poor orphans to me." She replied a similar smirk on her face as she took in his hair and new clothes.

He shrugged, "Previously poor orphan." He corrected, his eyes unconsciously darting for one exit to another, making note of them as he was led to a chair.

"Anything in particular?" She asked, holding up a pair of scissors.

"No, just make me look good." He said, relaxing.

"Awfully trusting aren't you?" She inquired, picking up a comb and trying to drag it through the tangles in his hair.

"Not really, if you make me look horrible, I'll just eat you." He said, his eyes glancing up at her in the mirror.

She chuckled heartily, "Your one of those types are you? Why do I even bother being surprised, you do shop at her store."

"Your Betty's girlfriend?"

"The one and only… at least I hope so. Suze at your service." She growled at his tangles and finally gave up with a frustrated sigh, "Get up." She demanded and he did so as she led him to a sink, "Lie down." He wrinkled his nose at being told what to do, but he complied anyway, relaxing under the soothing spray of water and strong hands massaging out the knots.

He left feeling satisfied and oddly lightened. His hair now came down slightly past his ears and fell in layers around his face. He had had red streaks put in and he wore them well with his sun-kissed skin and bright emerald eyes. Diagon Alley was bustling as usual, so he donned his duelling robes (people went out in them anyways, it didn't really matter) shrunk his packages and trunk, told Tom something unexpected came up, and left Diagon Alley for the Burrow.

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Well, this is all for now, take care and await eagerly for my next chappie. later!  



	4. Weasleys and Dark Lords

I'm bAAAAaaaaaack! Gods that sounded ominous... lol, I'm here and rarin' to go, prepared and fully charged, aren't you proud of me? In response to your reviews:

**Kyer**: Oooo, you _are_ cruel. (sticks out tongue) And he _does_ have but a slight nose, (winces as said nose pokes her in the eye as he glares at her) hehe... (runs in fear of the great Severus Snape)

**Wolflady**: I swear I love you! You give me tingles, and you really thought that was funny, my friend shot it down faster than a hunter on a duck.

**EyeintheSky**: The reaction isn't quite as extreme as I had hoped, but I cannot escape the inorexible pull of my muse. Ah well, I think the chap came out all right.

**AutumnBaby: **You're so sweet! (blushes) I'm so flattered by your compliments, thanks soo much.

Also, I would like to remind you all that your reviews are appreciated and loved and treasured and looked forward to everytime I have and update (sobs) you just all get me teary eyed... Just remember, it is a great encouragement to the author and it keeps most of us going in the dry seasons.

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Harry appeared with a loud 'Crack!' as he came up to the lopsided place he considered his home; other than Hogwarts or course. He glanced around to see if anyone had seen him, technically he had never gotten his Apparition licence, so what he had done wasn't, in the strictest sense, legal. No one had, so he walked up to the door and rapped loudly. There were the sounds of chaos from within the house and Mrs. Weasley's voice, "Fred if you don't knock that off I will hex you myself!" and an oddly feminine scream inside and Ron's voice, "George! Get it _away_ from me!" Before the door swung open and a very rumpled-looking Bill Weasley in the doorway. 

"Oh! Hi. Harry? Is that you? What're you doing here?" He glanced around outside with a confused look, "How'd you get here?"

Harry smirked, "Magic." He replied, "May I come in?"

"Oh, yeah sure. George, dammit, you stop messing with Ron!" Bill rounded on the twin, pulling him up by the scruff of his neck and in his hand was a large black spider.

"Hiya, Harry! You look good!" George said, grinning at him.

"Put that thing outside!" Charlie came 'round the corner, looking like he had gotten attacked by one of his dragons. His mouth was emitting smoke, his ears were steaming, and he was red in the face with a few burn marks here and there, "Oh, hi, Harry, good to see you again. Mum!" He bellowed, "Harry's here!"

"Oh? Harry dear! How lovely…! Goodness!" She came out of the kitchen with Fred at wandpoint, staring at Harry in shock.

"Harry? Oh thank god." Ron came out from behind the chair he was huddled behind, which was quite a feat, he was all limbs and had grown a few more inches over the summer, filling out right and proper and he fit in his gangly limbs. Harry couldn't help the appraising look he gave his best friend before he tuned to balding Mr. Weasley and a smile broke out across his face.

He was intently studying a small plastic figurine, poking it questioningly and muttering things like, "Why won't it _move_?" and, "I'll never understand Muggles." He looked up, "Oh, hello, Harry, can you help me with this, what does it do?" He held out the small plastic army man to Harry.

He took it, "It's for Muggle children, they play with them, moving them on their own." Harry explained, handing it back.

"Oh, thank you." Mr. Weasley ambled off, still poking the toy with his wand.

"Harry, you look… different." Ron said haltingly, his blue eyes grazing over Harry's robes then looking away, ashamed.

Harry grinned, "I got you a set too, here." He pulled out one of his shrunken packages and enlarged it, handing it to Ron, "There's stuff in there for the rest of you too." He pulled out a gorgeous set of dark purple robes with a crisp white shirt and put it in Ron's arms. For Fred and George he got a matching pair of jester suits, done up in Mardi Gras style, complete with masks and for Mrs. Weasley a new magical radio, made to play whatever you're in the mood to hear at the time, for Mr. Weasley he had gotten set of plugs from a Muggle store. He had gotten Bill a small, Muggle spun glass figure of a blood-red dragon with bits of gold as ornaments and for Charlie, an old book on Egyptian mythology.

There was a rousing chorus of "Thank you, Harry." In which Mrs. Weasley had to hit the twins over their heads for forgetting to completely, but it was said, nonetheless.

"Your welcome, may I stay with you for awhile? I've recently come of age and all…" he trailed off, his eyes darting to Ron with a small grin as he twirled his wand in his fingers, "And I was hoping to get the chance to take my Apparition test this summer…"

"Well that's no problem, none at all, dear." Mrs. Weasley said jovially, "Of course you can stay with us and Arthur will sign you and Ron up for the test together, no problem at all, right Arthur?"

Mr. Weasley nodded distractedly, "Yes, of course, dear…" He seemed to be enjoying his new plug immensely; there were even some American ones as well as the common European ones.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, now if you don't mind, I have some catching up to do with Ron." Harry grinned and grabbed his aforementioned best friend and they bolted up the stairs together.

"If you ask me…" Fred said to George.

"He was a tad too eager…" George replied.

"To get poor Ron…" Fred glanced at their mother.

"Alone." They finished.

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"Harry you look incredible!" Ron said excitedly, his blue eyes taking in the sight of Harry in _leather _(leather!) pants, and that impossibly tight tee, "What the hell happened?"

"Well, I got tired of the horrible hand-me-downs I got from Dudley, so I decided to do something about it just as soon as I got of an age to be able to do so." Harry said, staring at Ron with a grin on his face, "I've been thinking about a tattoo, but I just wouldn't know A) what to get, and B) where to put it. It would have to mean something, but, I don't want the lightning bolt, I already got one on my head." He sighed, realizing he was going through those personality swings again, fluxing between Helios and Harry and back again, it was starting to get confusing.

"Well, maybe you could get a Snitch." Ron shrugged, "I mean, you _are_ Capitan and all, the best Seeker in a century, all the teams will be begging you to play when you get out of school and all…" Ron trailed off as he noticed his friend's distant expression, "Harry?" No answer, "Harry? Harry, if this is a joke, it isn't funny, Harry?"

Harry's eyes were drawn to a new scene; the black sky seemed oppressive in the thick atmosphere, the stars, barely able to be made out and the moon was nonexistent, not unlike the night he had died. It was odd, feeling the sensation of a beating heart, but this was before the turning, before the darkness and fleeing the light, he was _human_ here. He blinked once, twice and there appeared a dark man with wild blue eyes and the darkest of black hair, almost blue it was so black. He was the most beautiful man Helios had ever seen, but he did not venture near him; mama said that the Devil's face was so beautiful he wasn't to be trusted, much less sought out, so he did not approach as so many others did, bowing at his feet and worshipping him as if he had the power. He didn't, Helios, on the other hand, did, he was one of the few that had been selected, selected as one of those who would make their power and focus it through a creation of their own. Most magick-weavers had wooden wands, inserted with a hand-harvested magical ingredient, perhaps two if they were really powerful, but not Helios, Helios refused to be like anyone else; he had chosen to use his own two hands, drenched in blood, night-drinker's blood. The Elder's had warned him, night-drinker's blood was dark, and wandless magick was foolish, he would kill himself. Helios shrugged, if he did, then he would die doing what none else had dared, he would test the boundaries of his magick to stretches that none would ever venture to take, but in doing this, he would, eventually surpass the power of all the Elder's and then he would free his family from this tyranny.

The Devil's face turned towards his suddenly, the cold blue gaze fixed on his green one. Refusing to look away, he deliberately held his chin higher and puffed his chest arrogantly as he turned away from the eyes and walked back towards his home.

"Harry!" Ron's sudden voice in his ear startled him from the memory and he fell off the chair with a hiss, his fangs elongating and a soft snarl escaped his lips. "H-Harry are you okay?" Ron was a little pale and he was staring at Harry warily.

"Yeah, m'fine, just some stuff went on over the summer that I need to figure out, don't worry about me." Harry stood and wiped a hand across his mouth, resisting the urge to sink his teeth into the soft flesh of Ron's throat.

"All right, Harry, mum wants us down for dinner…" Ron paused as Harry's eyes widened and he groaned.

"I think I'm going to pass on that tonight, I… I don't feel well." Harry's eyes fell away and he knew he'd have to do something about this hunger… before it did something about him.

* * *

Severus' eyes were blazing, furious that he had to be sent out on such trite things, even after the death of the irritating old man. Even now as he thought about the death, it stung bitterly, biting into his chest, like some vicious venomous animal inside his chest, (although he wouldn't be surprised if it was merely his heart, finally deciding to kill him.) He turned his countenance on a new recruit to the Dark Lord's regime, giving him a passing hex that was sure to burn for days afterwards; as he swept to his Lord's chambers (gods he hated that man) if nothing more than to have those red eyes stare at him for minutes on end, always looking for moles, always paranoid, as Severus himself was. He stood at the door, hesitatingly before he knocked once, twice, three times before the usual cold and barely audible "Enter." was heard from within.

"My Lord." He murmured softly, dropping to his knees and kissed the hem of his robes obediently before falling back in his crouched position, waiting for further instructions.

"Arissse, Ssseverussss." Came the sibilant stretching of his name and he shivered, whether in disgust, or something else entirely, he wasn't quite sure, but he rose nonetheless, keeping his eyes on the ground, like a good servant.

"You called, Lord?" Severus asked quietly.

"Yessss," The hiss was sickening with pleasure, "We are refocusing our efforts, Potter will still be high on the list of disposals, but with that old fool out of the way, thanks to you Ssseverussss." Severus could have sworn he lengthened his name on purpose, "Potter will be more on his guard, so we will focusss on other things, we are not certain if the boy will return to Hogwarts, I ask you keep an eye on that for me." The way he said 'ask' Severus knew he had no choice, "In the meantime, I want to see that mediocre Minister taken out of office, as well as the Muggle one, I want a magical one put in his place, forcibly or not. This war will not be fought with Muggle bayonets and cannons on bloodstained fields… unless I feel like it… but it _will _be fought on _my_ terms, not the ones that Muggle-loving fool set up. Politics and take over by _force_." A cold, hissing laughter snaked past the Dark Lord's lips, "Am I clear, Severus?"

"Yes, Milord." He bowed once more, staying still.

"Go, tell Lucius as well, he still has yet to garner favour with me, make sure word gets 'round my followers. Oh, and Severus?"

"Yessir?" Severus remained still. "You efforts for the Death Eaters are duly noted, good day." And with that, Severus was dismissed, unharmed, unscathed.

_Well,_ he thought, _that could have gone worse._ He sagged against the wall outside the Dark Lord's chambers, sighing in relief, "Lucius." He growled as the aristocratic blonde passed by, "The Dark Lord wanted me to tell you…"

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M'kay, that's all for now, sees you all later, kay?  



	5. Boys Will Play

Yay! Another chapter! Okay, first off, it will start out as Ron/Harry and YES they will have a best-friendy/loverry-like situation, but the Snarry will be forthcoming! I promise, I swear, IT WILL COME! (Cough, cough, glances around to the sound of crickets in the background... cough, cough...) Anywhoo, in response to the lovely reviews...

**Wolflady:** I know I'm cute, it has a habit of sneaking up on me and saying "Hey, lookit that cute girl in the mirror... oh, wait that's me!" I kid you not, hey it's doing it again... (Chases after mirror in distance...)

**Kyer: **The Dark Lord was feeling... perky? Is that the word? That day, so Severus (very narrowly) avoids the Cuciatus. And his nose, well, it's there, what can I say? And I like the idea of the aphrodisiac perfume, I found myself looking it up shortly after you mentioned it...

**FairyQilan:** I apologise greatly! I neglected to mention that the Severus scene was _before_ Harry died, I alpoplgise to all my readers out there who were confuzzled, so sry! And I thank you for pointing out my mistake!

**Bella Snape:** Do you even have to ask! Of course! I would love to be a part of your archive, my address is grinkle _underscore_ grl _at_ yahoo_ dot _com, in case you didn't know. Sqee! I'm in a book (gets all sparkly eyed... ooooo! Shiny!)

**darkpyroangel06:** I'm glad you like my story! Keep reviewing and I will love you forever!

**Pendecardiel:** Yes, Harry vamped when he died, it was a dormant vampiric gene that came out when his 'mortal' body died, unfortunately, when he died, himself in his most recent former life, Helios, also made somewhat of an appearance. Helios is dead. Period. But Harry has sporadic moments where his personality is incredibly similar to that of who Helios was. He does have another side, like being two-faced, that only comes out when he's under great emotional duress and extreme hunger, like in this chapter. Thank you for reveiwing, I love it when readers come to me with questions! I appreciate your questioning and keep reading!

* * *

Harry slipped out of Ron's window silently, free-falling and landing heavily on his feet, even as he tucked and rolled to soften the landing, his feet still ached as he righted himself. He could feel his teeth lengthening in the cool night air as it filled him and energised him for the hunt ahead. He moved like a shadow, skirting patches of light like they were deadly and flitting from one place to the next. His eyes were well adjusted and he could see as if night had turned to day, his nose twitched as he scented a deer in the forest surrounding the Burrow and he veered towards it, the animals around him falling silent, sensing the greater predator in the darkness. He came upon the deer quietly, his eyes glimmering like jewels in the faint moonlight, his muscles coiled like snakes prepared to strike. The deer ventured closer, this was it… He leaped out, his face twisted in a snarl, his fingers inches from the deer's pelt… and fell flat on his face in the dirt with the sound of thudding hooves in the distance, "Stupid four-legged creatures!" He snarled to no one, startling a nest of birds from their perch, he was a little surprised they didn't take flight earlier, but he had bigger things to worry about than spooked birds, like where he was going to get a decent meal… He _could_… no stupid notion, he wasn't going to… but it wasn't like the bite was painful… Ron might even _enjoy_ it. He glanced around, his green eyes searching half-heartedly for any alternate prey, but none came to his attention, so he shrugged and left, returning carefully through the woods and looking up at the house and the window he was supposed to be going back in. He winced, "Gods, this is going to hurt." 

He hesitantly approached the house, his finger reaching out to claw into the wooden frame of the home; his fingernails sinking deep in the soft material, he nodded satisfied. He bent down, undoing his shoes and tying them around his neck so he could use his feet as well. Scaling the wall wasn't as easy as he had originally thought, and he hadn't thought it was easy in the first place, and as he just reached the window-sill, his fingers slipped as well as his feet and he fell a good twenty feet before he grabbed the wood with his elongated fangs and dangling there before he managed to snag into the wall with his hands and feet and pulling himself into Ron's window and collapsing on the floor, gasping for his unneeded breath. "Note to self:" He muttered, "Never, _ever_, for as long as I unlive, will I ever leave through the window on a twenty story building on the twentieth floor!" Harry snarled at himself, kicking Ron's bed, "Ow!" He hopped up and down clutching his foot, and cursing when Ron opened the door.

"Harry? Are you all right?" Ron raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Harry replied tightly, "M'fine." He sat down on Ron's bed and sighed.

"Well, I'm going to hop in the shower all right?" Ron said, glancing at Harry with a small smile.

Harry's eyes travelled along Ron's lithe form with a smirk, "Okay, I _might_ be here." His gaze moved back up to Ron's face which looked distinctly uncomfortable beneath Harry's close scrutiny.

"You might?" Ron's voice wavered and his ears were beginning to take on a pink tinge.

"Wait and see." Harry whispered.

"Right." Ron turned towards the bathroom and retreated inside as Harry stood swiftly and wrinkled his nose at the bed before he quietly followed Ron into the bathroom. He opened the door silently and shut it just as quietly as he slipped out of his clothing and snuck in behind Ron, his hands sliding down the pale and freckled back.

Ron yelped and spun, his eyes going wide as he caught sight of Harry, "Wh-what are you…?"

"Uh, Ron?" Harry said, "There's something I have to tell you."

"Really?" Ron elevated an eyebrow and his eyes unwillingly traced over his friend's body.

"Yeah, you see I'm only about this," He gestured with his fingers, spreading his fingers wider and wider, "Much gay." He dropped his hands as they spread back behind him.

"Really? What about my sister?" Ron asked, his eyes moving up to Harry's chest.

Harry went pale, "Ew! I've had her girly lips all over me! Ugh! Women!" Harry cringed at the thought and gagged slightly. "No, I am most certainly gay, my good fellow." Harry said with a smile.

"Well then." Ron stalked forward, pinning Harry against the wall and kissing him hard.

Harry frowned and spun, pressing Ron against the wet wall and grinding himself into the redhead who broke away with a gasp, arching his head back as Harry kissed down along the delicate column, his lips seeking the throbbing pulse beneath the skin. His tongue darted out, tasting the salty flesh and nibbling gently as his fangs extended hungrily, reaching for the blood that lay just beneath the surface. Harry twisted away, stumbling back, his hands catching on the curtain and sending it tumbling down with him as he ran back to the bedroom and waving his wand and spelling himself into clothing and curling into a corner of the room, hiding his face in his arms. _I can't believe I let myself get away like that, _he berated himself, _you are dangerous… **but it's not necessarily a bad thing, **_his other mental voice chided. **_You are a vampire, a dominant creature, one who feeds of humans, they become the prey, and they become not all they think they are. We are better, I am better._** Harry pressed his hand over his mouth and nose to block the scent of Ron's blood and to hide is fangs as his friend appeared.

"Harry?" Ron asked, wrapped in his towel, "Harry, are you okay? What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head, tears forming in the corners of his eyes, "Ron…" His voice came out muffled and distorted around the curved points of his teeth. He paused; collecting himself and giving himself a mental shake, **_grow up Potter_**, he thought, "Ron, I'm… I'm not entirely… human." He took his hands away from his mouth and gave Ron a wary grin, exposing his pointed teeth.

"You're a vampire." Ron said flatly, his eyes never straying from the fangs poking down just over Harry's bottom lip.

"Yes." Harry responded, turning away and pulling his knees closer to his body.

Ron moved, Harry wasn't quite sure where, until the pale flesh was exposed to him and he could suddenly hear the thundering of Ron's heartbeat just beneath the surface of the skin. "Drink." He said quietly.

Harry shoved him away, "Do you know what you ask of me? Are you prepared to face the possibility of an early grave just so I can feed?" He snarled, baring his fangs angrily, "I can't possibly do that to you!"

"Harry, you have to feed, I'm strong, I'll recover, but you could possibly hurt someone if this progresses any further!" Ron protested, spreading Harry's knees and pressing his throat up close to Harry's mouth.

Harry could smell the blood, the siren's song beneath the surface, practically begging him to take of the forbidden wine, he wasn't very strong to begin with, and he was _hungry_, and that other voice in the back of his head didn't help much either.**_ How can you resist something so willingly offered you? Hello! Gift horse + kicking in mouth equals bad, Potter, BAD! Drink, take what you, and myself, need! He will not lose much!_** Harry couldn't resist the call, he pulled Ron to him, turning him 'round so his back was against his chest, the freckled neck exposed and blemish free as he sunk his greedy fangs into him. Harry, in later years, could never quite describe the feel of that first feeding, the way the thick liquid rolled across his tongue, spreading a heady taste within his mouth. The way the strength flowed into him and the way the world around him took on more sounds, more colour, more smells, more everything. The sweet ambrosia sang within him, fuelling his strength, his speed; his heart, just for a moment beat once, twice, and was silent again, even as his cheeks became rosy and flushed, like he had just gone out for a jog, the circles beneath his eyes disappeared as if he had had a decent night's rest. He shifted slightly, jarring his fangs still sheathed in his friend and as he did so, Ron groaned lowly and pressed himself back against Harry and he was startled to discover he was hard and the friction made him moan against the bite, making Ron gasp and grind back against him hard.

Harry pulled away with a gasp and the redhead let out a hiss of protest at losing the sensation, turning in Harry's arms and pressing a rough kiss against the brunette's blood-stained ones. The metallic taste of his own blood in Harry's mouth was strange, but it did nothing to assuage the raging hard-ons both boys were sporting, so Ron ground himself down onto Harry, earning himself a strangled gasp from the vampire, who pressed himself up desperately into Ron.

Harry writhed beneath the torturous red-head, his body was screaming for release, and his mind demanded that he flip Ron over and ravish him on _his_ terms, but it felt too good, what he was doing, to do anything about it right now, so he pressed himself up against the answering hardness beneath that cumbersome towel that still, miraculously clung to Ron's freckled hips.

"Harry, please…" Ron murmured, his head thrown back and his arms spread behind him, supporting his weight as they pressed their hips together.

Harry's hands slipped the towel off of that supple body and took the proudly jutting erection in his hands, stroking it roughly as he sat up, laying Ron out beneath him, allowing him to be in control now. He smirked, an almost cruel expression on his face as he leaned down and devoured the pale lips, his fangs cutting into the tender skin and reviving the flow of blood between him and Ron as he stroked faster and faster on the throbbing member beneath him, "Tell me what you want, Ron." Harry hissed against the bloody lips.

"You, Harry, gods… _please…_" Ron growled beneath his breath, his hips bucking up begging for more friction.

Harry was about to indulge his friend (lover?) when a sharp rap came at the door followed by Ginny's sing-song voice, "Harry! There's something in the papers you might want to see!" And her feet retreated down the stairs like the pounding of elephant's feet in his ears.

Ron groaned loudly in complaint, "Harry, please, you can't… you won't…"

Harry gave Ron a cruel smirk, "I best go and see what she's on about… and _don't_ touch yourself, or I'll make sure you won't come again tonight." He said, his face unsmiling, but his eyes danced in amusement as Ron gave a small whimper of protest. "Hold tight, Ron." Harry licked his earlobe and stood, graceful as a panther-cat, pulling his robes tighter around him to hide the raging hard-on he had yet to relieve. "Yes, Ginny?" He asked gently as he entered the dining room.

She scuttled over to him and planted a kiss on his lips. It took all of Harry's willpower not to shove her away and run upstairs to brush his teeth furiously, but he refrained as Ginny began to speak, "Look, that greasy git, Snape, he got off." She held out the Daily Prophet to him.

He snatched it from her fingers, "**Ex-Death Eater RELEASED!**" It stated in bold letters, the article was short and written by someone he had never heard of, but at least it wasn't Skeeter.

Prof. Severus Snape, suspected of killing the esteemed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, was released today, free of charges due to no conclusive evidence. He was, previously, suspected of being a part of You-Know-Who's supporters in his first terrifying reign, and was rumoured to have killed Headmaster Dumbledore after the terrifying night the Dark Mark appeared in the sky above Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry just this year. Wizengamont, though, after much deliberation has declared the esteemed Potions Master of all charges and he will be returning to teach this year as well. When asked to comment on the verdict, Prof. Snape refused to even acknowledge us, instead favouring a sneer and the comment, "…blithering media idiots…" to our question.

Harry snorted, that sounded exactly like the snarky Potions Master, always disarming anyone with a scathing comment or a sarcastic remark that made people think before responding. "I can't believe this, he got off? How?" Harry huffed throwing down the paper in disgust, there wasn't even a picture; Snape would have probably hexed the only one who got a decent shot.

"Here, Harry, dear, have something to eat, all this stress on you can't possibly be good on your digestive system." Mrs. Weasley clucked, glancing down at his slight form, barely covered by the form-fitting clothing. She picked up some sausages left over from breakfast, along with a few pancakes, bacon, eggs, French toast…

"Mrs. Weasley, I can't possibly…"

"Eat." The voice was stern and the look she levelled him with it could have made an atheist convert to Christianity in a heartbeat.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said meekly, spearing two pancakes and stuffing them in his mouth, even though they seemed to have lost the taste he remembered, but they still tasted good.

After Harry stuffed himself sufficiently beneath Mrs. Weasley's fierce gaze, he retreated back up the stairs and slipped back into Ron's room, where he was spread on his bed, covered only by a blanket over his backside as he was perched on his stomach and looked like he was trying his hardest not to rut into the mattress beneath him.

"Miss me?" Harry whispered into his ear, making him jump.

"Harry! For a moment I thought you weren't coming back, what took so long?" He asked.

Harry frowned, his green eyes narrowing, "Snape got off, don't ask me how, something about insufficient evidence. That and your mum made me eat something."

"That's nice, Harry, can we stop talking about how Snape got off and do something about _me_?" Ron whinged, squirming on the bed.

Harry chuckled lowly, crawling up onto the bed, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, his green eyes, now unobstructed by his glasses, sparkling in the faint light. "What do you want?"

* * *

Severus was in his dungeons when he got the call. His arm burned viciously and he let out a soft hiss between his teeth, before he gathered up his Death Eater costume and swept out to the edge of the grounds to Apparate to his Lord's side. As soon as he appeared, he was his with a stray Cruciatus from the Devil's Servant and he fell to his knees with a soft cry of pain as his body alight with fire in his bones and acid on his skin before the curse was lifted.

"You are late, Ssseverussss." The Dark Lord snarled, "Do you know what happened recently? What happened to _my _prize?"

"No, My Lord." Severus said, his voice pained as he carefully rose to his feet, his knees popping as he righted.

"Potter is dead. Stabbed in the back by a worthless _COWARD!_" The Dark Lord bellowed.

Severus' first reaction was shock, Potter was dead? Then he winced; this wasn't going to end pretty, the Dark Lord never rose is voice above a hiss.

"My Lord, I beg of you…" The pleading voice of Lucius Malfoy sounded from behind the Devil's Servant.

"Silence, you _imbecile_." Voldemort growled (a vocal function that was undiscovered by Severus before now) his red eyes flashing to the cowering blonde behind him, "_Crucio!_" He cried, and the air dissolved into the sounds of screams of pain.

Severus gave a sympathetic grimace at the force behind the spell, setting his thoughts awhirl at the idea, no more idiotic problems from the boy in Potions, no more matches of will between the green-eyed youth and himself… bugger, he was getting all sappy and… he shuddered at the thought, _emotional_, at the thought of the moron… bloody hell, who was going to stop this mad-man? Severus suddenly became very afraid, what if… what if the world _did_ come to an end because of the red-eyed monster that stood before him, a look of mad glee on his face from the horrendous noises that Lucius was making. He set his mouth, he would continue in his position, he would do his best to thwart the venomous snake, if it killed him (which it probably would) and he would never complain, he wasn't one to do that anyway. "My Lord, perhaps this is a good thing, at least now you don't have to worry about the boy anymore." Severus offered peaceably, his eyes inclined towards the ground as the Dark Lord lifted the spell.

"Severus? Perhaps you are right." His said softly, tapping his wand against the lipless mouth, "I no longer have to worry about the boy getting in my way, obstructing my path for dominance… I sssuppose." Voldemort turned, "The rest of you, leave me, heed my example well, if you do anything outside of my orders again, you will not get off as lightly as Malfoy here." There was the sound of Disapparation all around as the rest of the Death Eaters left for the night.

Severus was about to do the same when the hissing voice reached him.

"Severus, stay and talk with me." Voldemort said, dropping the unglamours he used to keep his followers afraid and before Severus stood the gorgeous man of his youth, the coal-black hair cascading in waves down the thin back and the lean face, fully constructed and the most gorgeous man Severus had ever seen stood before him, the flickering blue eyes sparkled with cruel mirth as he sat on a conjured chair. "Lucius, stand." The voice was honey rich and powerful, laced with the raw power Voldemort wielded.

"Yes, Milord." Lucius said, standing shakily beside his master's chair.

"So, Potter is gone, out of my life… permanently. This is a concept that disconcerts me, Lucius, Severus."

"How so, My Lord?" Severus asked softly.

"I have battled with the boy for a good portion of my new life; I find it difficult to believe he is dead." The blue eyes shifted onto Severus' form, "Keep you ears open, and see if he is dead, I don't trust Lucius aim. I want to make _sure _he's dead, not just a hair's breadth away from it and recovering from a gaping knife wound in his back. Make sure it leaks to the media that he could _possibly_ be dead, struck down by a random attack, perhaps whatever Muggles call it… bunglers."

"Yes, My Lord." Severus responded automatically, not daring to correct the pronunciation of the Dark Lord.

"Excellent, you are both dismissed." Voldemort said, standing and disappearing with a pop.

* * *

Okay, the end was a little anti-climactic, but it was the best I could do without a beta, i still need one by the way. Oh and I'm wondering if I should put in a smooshy (sex) scene aka: schmu-schmu, shagging, smutt, smooshing, wanton behaviour, boinking... I could go on, but I won't bore you with my mental thesaurus. It's up to you, my faithful and unwavering readers (I love you all, I swear!) decide and I shall write. Oh and don't worry, the Harry/Ron thing isn't going to be for very long.  



	6. The Devil's Advocate

Okay, this is a flashback sequence to Helios' time, though the first paragraph is Harry, the rest is all Helios and remembering one of his worst nights. And hooray! I have another chapter ready to go, still in desperate need of a beta though, it's a tragedy (cries) anywhoo, as I have said before, RonxHarry stuff IS going to be kept to a min, there isn't going to be a whole, whole lot of it, but it'll be there. I'm not a big Ron basher, I like best-friend characters, like Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and others that I can't think of right now. Besides which, he'll probably die trying to save Harry's life and then you'll all be kind of upset that you hated him… or maybe not, I mean, I did the happy-dance when the Blue-Eyed bastard died in the HBP and I've always hated the guy, from the top of his stupid wizards hat to the tips of his pointy, curled little shoes as soon as he set foot of Privet Drive, I HATED him, evil blue-eyed monster… anyways, in response to the loverly reviews:

**moonqueen: **Thanks!

**Corbin: **Yes, Helios is _sort _of dead, dead… or he is dead, dead, he just is… um… ? Bugger, he's there, but he's not there… Helios, no longer exists, Harry has retained his memories, and bits and pieces of his personality, but Harry is not Helios, K? Yes, he has thoughts that are not exactly his own, but it's still Harry, just another part of Harry that is more Helios-like. And Helios and Voldemort have met before, but he was not Voldemort then, it is sort of explained in this chapter, the flashback takes place a _long_ time ago, like six thousand years ago, before gov't systems were set up and before England was settled into England.

**Lord Localfreak: **I love constructive crit! It's a whole 'help me grow into a writer thing' I love it! Allow me to explain why I used 'bungler' instead of 'burglar' Voldemort is trying to put on the air that he is a pure-blood as opposed the worthless half-blood he is. And what do you mean 'more depth into thoughts and feelings'? I… (It kills me to say this) I don't understand. E-mail me, please, we'll talk.

**AutumnBaby: **Lol, I was never asking anyone to give HarryxRon a shot, just asking them to play along with the story, solely for the story-line and the goofiness of Harry's split personality issues. Thanks for being a faithful reviewer, I love you!

**Niles Chiku: **Yes! Kinkiness and biteyness! There can never be a decent vampfic without a little blood and sex… Sex without blood in a vamp story is… well, not right.

_**JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS! HARRY AND RON DID NOT GO "ALL THE WAY"!**_

**curlytop:** You make me laugh, Ron and Harry will not be together long, promise, and Harry will be returning to Hogwarts to take care of Severus. Patience is a virtue! Thanks for the review! Heavens you are a tad jealous (Don't worry, I am too ;) )

Thank you, I appreciate you all! Keep my spirits soaring so that I may visit the Muse's lands above!

* * *

Harry slept roughly that night, even though his playing around with Ron tired him, his mind was restless, searching for lost memories, trying to find the pieces to fill the gaps in his puzzle of a life. After a fruitless search of his consciousness, he became suddenly restless, pacing back and forth across Ron's room, with Ron snoring in the bed next to his sleeping bag on the floor. He looked out at the night, a strange urge overtaking him, a longing merely to prowl, to wander the night aimlessly, no particular purpose, but just because he could; so he could be the bigger predator. He glanced at Ron, ascertaining that he was still asleep before he opened the window and climbed down the wall, rather than just jumping like he had last time. He took a deep breath; suddenly a flash of a night similar to this came to him, sparking like a flame beneath his eyelids…

Helios had been out for a walk, wandering his quiet village at night was a bit of a hobby for him, since he was a small child in his mother's arms, she would take him out, the stars sparkling merrily and the moon smiling on them. Tonight though, tonight held a forbidding air about it, ever since that stranger came to town, the man with the Devil's face, folks didn't come out at night anymore, not since Frimelda's youngest had been found in the morning, just a week ago, drained of all blood, dead.

His emerald eyes alight on a figure by the waters by his home; a lone person standing at the water's edge, soft black hair, pale, pale hands… he gasped, 'twas the Devil's Advocate, the stranger with the blue eyes. He raised his hands, calling on the magick beneath his skin…

"That won't do you much good, boy." He turned, those blue eyes boring into Helios' soul, searching, for what, he wasn't quite sure.

"Oh?" Helios' raised his spark-happy fingers threateningly, a spell on the tip of his lips.

The Devil man snorted walking towards Helios, stopping only when he raised his hands threateningly at those blue eyes, "What brings you here this night, Helios?" He asked.

Helios started violently, his hands dropping to his sides, "H… How do you know my name?" He demanded, searching the man's pale face.

He smiled faintly and Helios saw a flash of fangs in the moonlight and he gasped, backing up quickly, but as he blinked the Devil-man disappeared from the remote spot on the hill. He looked around blindly for the night-drinker to no avail, it seemed like the shadows themselves were beginning to work against him as the darkness looked like it was drawing closer to him, intent on swallowing him up in its black depths. He recoiled from the enveloping gloom, bolting back to his home, but to his dismay the village was nowhere in sight, the night blotting out all recognizable signs of life. "Help!" He called, looking around wildly like a spooked horse, his eyes rolling, desperate to see the source of his fear, "Help!"

"None shall help you now, Helios." The low, seductive voice of the Devil hissed in is ear and he spun, lashing out violently and hitting something solid before an iron clamp tightened around his wrist.

"No!" Helios twisted and thrashed in the arms of the night-drinker, but he was stronger, pulling Helios against the lithe body.

"You have a fire, boy, a fire that I need, beating beneath your skin, but…" Helios could see the smirk on his face, "If you walk with me in shadows, if you will be my night-brother as the wolf and the panther are; if you are to be my tiger, little emerald fire, you will be mine." A tongue licked up the side of Helios' neck and he shivered in fear. "Good, you're already learning."

That was all the warning he received before twin pin-pricks of pain blossomed on his neck, making him try and retreat away from the pain that was slowly spreading through his body, "No! Never!" He cried out again, fighting and kicking, but the more he did so, the more pain he felt and he screamed with the agony of it, like lava in his blood, like acid beneath the surface, boiling and consuming his body, all of it centred around the two points of pain in his neck. He howled, tears leaking down his face, but he refused to beg for it to stop, to plead for his life, he refused. The agony suddenly doubled within him and his knees buckled, but the Devil kept him straight as he fought, his struggles getting weaker by the second, and the pain was receding. He whimpered as the pins were removed from his throat and he collapsed completely, his cheek hitting the grass as the hurt circulated through him, disappearing with each feeble beat of his heart.

Strong hands rolled him onto his back and blue eyes appeared, curious and quizzical as Helios realized he could see the stars again, beyond the black hair. "Well, Helios, seems as if you are going to die here, never discovering your potential, never realizing what you could do. Talent, wasted. Pity really… Unless…" The Devil's eyes smirked.

"What, Lucifer? Unless what?" He croaked, his voice faint and weak against the brilliant stars.

"Lucifer? Surely you do not think me the Devil? The Dark God?" The blue eyes smirked at him.

"I do, now answer me." Helios demanded again, coughing pitifully.

"Ah, but I have not crossed that path as of yet, I am not a God, though I do live forever. Helios, Helios, Helios, unless you were to become as I am, as I have already told you, you will. In the meantime, you will call me Master, or Sire, only you have that privilege, my Helios, my emerald flame."

"Yes."

"Yes what?" The Devil's cruel lips twisted in a cold smile. Helios turned his face away and received a stinging slap, "Yes what?" He demanded again, the eyes turning hateful.

"Yes… Yes, Master." Helios spat.

And the Devil cut himself with his cursed blade and there came forth cursed blood. The blood of the damned and Helios did drink of the damned and he became the first, but never the last, Childe of the Vampyr.

* * *

And here concludes, yet another, chapter to my fic, I love your reviews, I'm a sucker for good criticism, keep telling me what you think, and I aim to please… ME! Hehehehehe… 


	7. Through Blind Men's Eyes

Severus walked blindly back to the castle, his steps never faltering, but he was in a slight state of shock, he still couldn't quite believe that Potter was dead. He was not going to be in a good state when the students returned two days from now, not a good state indeed. "Minerva!" He bellowed once he was inside the castle, "Minerva!" the petulant demand was thick in his voice as he swept to the Headmistress's office. "Minerva, he is dead! Gone! Killed by a maniac's disciple!" He babbled, snagging a bottle of scotch and a glass for her liquor cabinet.

"Heavens, Severus, what is the meaning of this? Raiding my stocks and waking me up…! Severus you look like hell!" Minerva came down the stairs in a rush, tending to the blood that he had not known was leaking down the side of his face, "What the devil are you ranting on about?"

"Potter. Potter's dead, Minerva, killed by Lucius, on Privet… Privet Drive…" He swayed on his feet, the world going slightly fuzzy.

"Severus! Severus, sit down, you're going into shock, did you see him, did you see his body?" Minerva looked terribly worried as she mopped the blood and sweat that marred Severus' black brow.

"No, but the Dark Lord was bloody pissed about it." He took a heavy swig of the scotch, not bothering with the glass he had retrieved.

"So then he might be alive?" Minerva looked far too hopeful.

"The Dark Lord was expecting him be here with a gaping knife wound in his back, but he is not, where else would he go? Is he at the Dursley's?"

"I don't know, the wards around his home did not go off, that signals he was either off the property when it happened or he is no longer there, or he is there, safe and sound, or his aunt and uncle killed him, or…"

"Minerva, stop, you're just working yourself up." Severus said calmly, now that the alcohol was working wonders on his system, he felt better.

"Oh, Severus, what'll we do?" She asked him, her eyes wide and concerned.

"I presume we find the boy, alive or dead. First stop: the Muggles." He muttered irritably, even in death, the boy managed to interfere with his life.

* * *

The Muggle's house was quiet, like you'd expect a normal Muggle house to be, but this wasn't supposed to be a normal Muggle's house, it was where the great Harry Potter lived, there should have been something a little grander than the dinky flower beds and bushes that littered a well-kempt lawn. Or so Severus thought as he strode up to the steps in his Muggle slacks and silk button-down shirt, his wand tucked up his sleeve within easy reach, should he need it. He knocked sharply on the fresh-painted door and the faint sounds of voices and a rush to take care of certain things was heard behind the wood as it swung open and a grandly fat man stood in the door.

"Hello! Hello!" He said stoutly, "May I help you with anything, sir?" The beady eyes kept moving behind Severus and he speculated that he must be taking in the sight of the black Jaguar that Severus had come in.

"Yes," He said coldly, "I'm looking for your nephew, Harry Potter."

It was amazing how fast the fat man's face went from welcoming to outraged, to scared, to downright terrified in the space of a split second, "My nephew? I don't have a nephew, so if you'll carry on your business elsewhere…"

"Oh no, you don't." Severus said icily, placing his foot in the door as the man tried to close it, "This is the last recorded residence of the Boy-Who-Lived, now you better damn well tell me where the hell he went!" He snarled, stepping into the house, his wand at the ready.

"He left!" The fat man cried desperately, "He came in here, took his things and left!"

"When?" Severus lowered his wand into the man's face threateningly.

"Earlier today!" He backed away from the wand, falling on the couch with a horrible crunching noise.

"Where did he go?" Severus lowered the wand minimally.

"I don't know! I'm no longer his caretaker, he just up and left!" He shook violently on the couch as Severus tapped his wand against his lip in thought.

He glanced at the man once more, noticing bruises on his neck, hand-shaped, it looked like. "Where did you get those?" He inquired, stepping closer, only to stop when the man stood to back away.

"The… the boy." Severus turned as a new voice came into his range, a horse-like woman stood in the doorway to the kitchen, "When he returned from his walk. He always goes out on walks now, he returned and I think there was blood… blood on his clothes, like he had been bathing in it. He took his things and disappeared on the horrid purple bus…"

"Blood?" Severus was confused, where would the boy get blood on him? "The Knight Bus…" He went to the door, pausing only when the horse-lady laid a hand on his arm.

"He… he was acting… odd." She said carefully, "I'd be careful, if I were you."

* * *

Harry's eyes cleared; the vision over, for the time being. He was on his knees, his arms wrapped about himself, shivering on the Weasley's lawn, the wetness of the grass soaked through his tight denims, the pain from the memory of his turning still racking through his body and the taste of the blood on his tongue as his body drank greedily from the man's wrist. He shivered involuntarily as he stood, releasing himself, the night suddenly not looking so friendly as it had before and the sudden longing to be back inside overtaking him as he snuck back into the Burrow, stealing back up to Ron's room and collapsing onto his pallet. He wrapped himself around his pillow, burying himself beneath his blankets, trying desperately to forget what he had seen.

* * *

The author's notes kinda got skipped here, just noticed that, sorry folks, even the writers do have issues sometimes, we're not perfect... I wish we were though, it's difficult when updating a 2 AM... at least that's when I think I posted this, either that or I was too lazy to bother... wow. hehe, thanks for all the love! 3  



	8. The Golden Trio UNITE!

Hey guys! Soooooo sorry it took so long to update, this damned thing has been giving me problems, yet again, I have an issue with frickin' writer's block... HATE IT HATE ITHATEIT! (Sighs) gods it's horrible, sleepy tired... ick. Here's the next chap, enjoy!

* * *

Harry stood on the platform, staring at all the students around him. It all seemed so surreal; it was his, Harry Potter's, last year at Hogwarts. He laughed exuberantly, grabbing Ron and twirled him around before releasing him and jogging to the train, an odd lightness in his heart that he couldn't ever remember feeling before. 

"Well, mate; you seem in good sorts." Ron grinned, pushing the trolley to the train and loading them up with a certain ease that Harry would never have been able to pull off had he been human still.

"Ron, it's our last year, how can you not feel good about that?" He asked, smoothing his clingy shirt over his muscles and Ron looked him up and down appreciatively.

"I can, I do! To finally be able to use magic without people tutting and tsking about it, I love it!" Ron grinned with him and hopped on, just as the whistle sounded for them to leave.

* * *

It was a few hours later, Ron was asleep, and Harry was staring out the window, a mad grin on his face as he watched the landscape pass him by. His Apparition test had gone well, he had passed with flying colours, Ron with less of the flying and more colours, but they had both passed happily. Harry's green eyes moved to Ron again, he was sprawled on the bench, his mouth hanging open, snoring softly and tiny bit of drool leaking from a corner of his mouth. Hermione had not shown her bushy head just yet, but Harry was content, he just wanted to lick all…

The compartment door opened and a familiar head of brown hair appeared, but less bushy than when he had last seen it. It was now laying in straight layers around her face, curled under her chin endearingly and those brown eyes glanced once at Ron, a small smile on her face, before Hermione turned to Harry, no sign of recognition on her face, "Oh, I'm sorry, I… I don't think we've… we've met." She said slyly and Harry recognised the subtle flirting on her part, "Hermione Granger." She offered her hand.

A sharp snore startled her and Ron's blue eyes were suddenly quite focussed on the pair of them, "'Mione?" He asked, blinking hugely.

"No, Eloise McFadden. Of course, you silly git, where's Harry?" She asked, shoving Ron's feet off the bench and seating herself.

"I'm Anastasia Beaverhausen, pleased to meet you Miss Granger." Harry said conspiratorially, glancing once at Ron with a smirk. Hermione looked confused before Harry stood and pulled the front of his pants down a bit, displaying a tattoo of a snitch settled into the 'V' of his front, "Nice to see you too 'Mione." He said.

"Hey, I didn't notice that when… never mind." Ron cut himself off rather quickly as he stared rather determinedly out the window, the tips of his ears turning pink.

"That's not… no… Harry?" Hermione stood suddenly, "My gods, you look… wow, you look terrific!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and surreptitiously sneaking a grope on his person.

He chuckled, "You look lovely as well, and I'm sure any straight man will be dying to go out with you."

She blushed at his compliment, then blanched, "You, you're not… not straight?" She looked startled.

He shook his head, suddenly unsure, "That doesn't… bother you, does it?"

She grinned, "No! Stupid, I've know since fourth… no probably fifth year, since that awkwardness with Cho and Ginny… You're not still going out with her are you?" She suddenly demanded, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Well… um… I just haven't had the chance to…!" Harry looked up as he heard footsteps approaching.

Ginny flung open the compartment with heartfelt enthusiasm, "Harry!" She went over to him, a smile on her face as she leaned up to kiss him; he returned it without grimacing, which he thought was a point for him.

"How are you, Ginny?" He asked gently.

"I'm good, you look great, as usual, I better go get changed, are you coming?" She asked, batting her eyelashes at Harry.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." He said sighing heavily as she left. Hermione made a soft 'tsking' noise and he turned to her, "I'll tell her, I promise." Harry pleaded silently with his eyes, imploring her not to tell.

She sighed and stood, grabbing her clothes, "I'll see you two later." She disappeared, shutting the door behind her quietly and Harry heard her footsteps echo down the hall.

Harry sighed dejectedly, "She's not going to talk to me for awhile, is she?" He glanced at Ron.

He shrugged, "I don't know, women are still a mystery to me, that's why I date boys, Harry."

Harry chuckled, his eyes returning to the window as a sudden bout of sombreness overcame him. Dumbledore wouldn't be there this year, no more twinkling madly or secret smiles, no surreptitious announcements meant for him and his friends at the Welcoming Feast… Harry felt like he had been punched in the gut, remembering the night on the Tower, the look on the Headmaster's face as he fell from the ramparts, the cold indifference of the Potions Master's face as he turned and led Malfoy down the steps, and the revealing of the Half-Blood Prince out on the grounds. The sudden sting of anger and hatred that had swept him as he chased Snape, how eager he had been to torture or even… even kill the bastard. He shuddered, remembering the feelings, the confusion, everything, it was the first time he had really had a chance to remember the night, between doing things for the Dursley's and the killing, when he woke up, threatened his uncle (that was fun) left Privet Drive permanently, at Diagon Alley and the Weasley's always so full of activity, all the way up till now, now when he had the most time to think, time to mourn, time to hurt and bleed on the inside. Why had he come back? He had to find the Horcruxes, had to avenge the Headmaster's death, kill Voldemort, he… he was… he was beginning to hyperventilate.

"Harry!" Ron rushed over, "Harry, stop! Harry breathe, or stop breathing, you don't need to! Harry! Harry!"

Harry stopped. He froze completely, his breath stopped, his eyes focussed on Ron's blue eyes and he felt serenity flow over him and his eyes fluttered shut as he let out a breath in one slow and easy movement, his body relaxing once again. "Sorry." He murmured, looking away, ashamed at his weakness, "I used to do that all the time while I was at the Dursley's, but I would do it until I passed out and my breathing would regulate itself." He sighed, he had gotten out of that habit after his first year, but fallen back into it when Cedric died, and the visions worsened.

"… be back soon…"

"Huh?" Harry returned his attention to Ron who had started speaking again, "What did you say?"

"I said, Hermione'll be back soon." Ron repeated, "You look like shit, mate, maybe you should sleep." Ron smoothed back a lock of hair that had fallen into Harry's eye and gave him a small kiss, "Get some rest; you look like you could use it."

"Yeah, I think I will." Harry said, lying out on the bench and curling his arm beneath his head, letting his mind wander as he slipped into sleep.

* * *

Severus returned to Hogwarts thoroughly and righteously pissed. He hadn't been able to track the Potter child past Diagon Alley, Tom said he just up and left, something had 'come up' apparently and he had just left. That could have been when he died, but then, where had he acquired the blood on his clothes that the horse-woman said was there? Would he have gone to the Weasley's? He hadn't checked there, but how would he have gotten there, the Knight Bus did not go that way, and there was none to Apparate him there, unless the boy Apparated himself there? Bloody hell. The students were due at any moment and he was worrying about a perhaps-dead child. He flew down to his dungeons, seeking solace in the heady smell of the mixtures he was in the process of brewing, wrapping himself in it and immersing himself in his work like he would not be able to do when the monsters… brats… _children_, arrived.

* * *

Harry woke slowly, his eyes cracking open to a red-orange sky as it blazed its last stand against the darkening horizon, "How long was I out?" He asked hoarsely, blinking and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Coupla hours." Ron replied, glancing at Harry with a small smile, "You should get changed."

Harry nodded, "See you in a bit." He pulled down his robes and walked out, heading down to the changing rooms, still yawning and staggering slightly as the train hit a bump every now and again. The door shut behind him and he shimmied out of his shirt and leather pants, now in the buff, seeing as he had forgone undergarments of any kind for space sake, and pulled out his pants for school just as he felt a pair of arms wind around his waist and a flat stomach press against his back. He stiffened; Ron certainly did not have those… _things_ that were pressing into the backs of his shoulders.

"I waited forever for you, I was wondering when you were going to show." Said a noticeably female, definitely Ginny-like voice from behind. The hand on his chest slid down towards his…

"AHHHHGGGGHHHH!" Harry screamed (rather girlishly) and bolted from the room, still nude, down the hall of the train, whilst people poked their heads out to see the commotion, only to get an eyeful of the Boy-Who-Lived-In-The-Nude as he ran from the petite red-head in naught but bra and panties behind him.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, chasing him, "Harry?"

Harry ran ahead, not particularly caring what was in front of him and as a result wound up running into something rather hard, but pliant, sending himself and whatever he landed on, to the floor with a crash. "Bloody, fuckin'…"

"Potter?" A distinct voice from beneath him asked.

Harry looked down and observed the blonde that seemed to have appeared under him, "Malfoy?" He cocked his head curiously, pushing himself upright, and testing the power in the muscles beneath his hands, oblivious of the stares he seemed to be gleaning. His hands rested easily on Malfoy's chest, his pectorals taught beneath Harry's shameless feeling, "So, how have you been recently?"

"Pot… Oh God! Woman! Clothing, now, you abominable boob-slinging wench!" Draco cowered behind his arms to shield himself from the sight of Ginny in nothing but her underclothes.

"Har…?" Ginny looked down at him, a strange look on her face, somewhere between hurt and confusion.

"Um… Ginny, well…" He splayed his hand on Draco's chest, "I'm… well, queer as a three sided coin. Gay as a man skipping through flowers and dreaming of ponies with horns…" Harry stopped, giggling at his accidental pun, "It's not you, quite honestly, it really is me." He glanced down at Draco who turned away, blushing and Harry realised that he was checking out his… nudity. Bugger. He had run out of there so fast… "Ummm…" Harry blushed as well, standing and sidling into his compartment which happened to be close by.

Draco was staring after the naked Boy-Wonder when a shadow crossed over him. He looked up into the brilliant blue eyes of Ron the Weasel himself and stayed there, blinking up into them when a hand stuck out. He looked down at the pale and freckled hand, blinking almost stupidly until he realised that the Weasel was trying to help him up. He took the hand hesitantly, surprised when the hand pulled him up with surprising ease, he hadn't thought he'd weighed that little, and his face came in contact with a hard, muscled chest. He pushed away, forcing the blush that had threatened, down and sniffed, glancing at the others that seemed to be staring the door that Potter had disappeared through before he hissed a single word, "Thanks. Crabbe, Goyle, I don't find this company at all pleasant." He wiped his hand on his robe, a sneer on his face. "I will never live this down." He muttered disappearing into his own compartment, leaving Ron more or less to himself, with all the people itching to get into the closed compartment door.

"Get the hell out of my way." He growled, elbowing past the gaggle of people and tapping on the door, "Harry it's me."

"C'min." Came the muffled voice from inside and Ron entered, shutting the door and locking it for good measure as a collective groan came from outside.

* * *

Three hours later found Severus still in the dungeons, but not brewing anything at the moment, he had opted out on the Welcoming Feast, choosing to brood in front of his fireplace instead. McGonagall wasn't going to be pleased with him, that was for sure, but at the moment he didn't care. With his glass of scotch and the crackling flames, he was mildly content, it still disturbed him that he could not find the boy's body, or any sign that he had lived through the attack. Why on the god's green earth, would Lucius kill Potter with a knife? Why not the simple Killing Curse? This was what disturbed the Potions Master most, Lucius was not known for his Muggle-like killings, that was more Nott's style, Lucius was brutal, never clean, like a knife would do, but generally bloody and scattered. This was the Boy-Who-Lived, Lucius would make a show out it for his Lord, as eager as he was to please the Dark Lord (in more ways than one) why, why, _why, _would he do that? Severus stood once more and began to pace the length of the room, his bare feet silent on the flagstones, it just didn't make sense. He sighed, no use losing sleep over it, he glanced at the clock, the hands both pointing at, "If you are up now, you are an idiot."

He rolled his eyes, stupid clock, Albus had given it to him… he turned from it abruptly, the pain in his chest rearing up uncomfortably as he tried to keep the sudden urge to cry at bay. He couldn't help the single tear that trickled from his eye from falling though as he thought about that night, he had every right to have the boy's wrath, he should have let him hex him, he deserved it. That sickly green flash pervaded his thoughts again as he envisioned Dumbledore falling over those ramparts, looking ever like those horrid muggle movies that make you see the hero's mentor fall in slow motion. He had to rush to the bathroom suddenly, the bile in his throat rising as he hurled the contents of the past few hours from his stomach as he remembered the death he had caused, the only person that had ever cared about him was dead at his hands… again.

* * *

That's all for now, poor Sevvie, (Cries) I hated writing that part, but some things must be done for the good of writing-kind. Ah well, good riddance to the infernal old coot. So sorry I couldn't get to your reviews for now, I'll maybe do it next time, but there's so many! I wouldn't know where to start! hehe, anywhoo, will dance for reviews, can't guarantee it'll be good though.  



	9. Welcome Home, Harry

Hey guys! It took me forever, but the chap's a little longer this time around, so I hope you like it! Um... about the reviews... I don't think I'm gonna answer those anymore, mostly because it takes so much room and I found out recently that it's a pet peeve for a lot of people that think it's a reallly long chapter and it's just in answer to several reviews, sorry, but it must be done! So, enjoy the chap and I hope you guys like it! 3 -Wings

* * *

The Great Hall was decked beautifully as it always was at the beginning of the year, the sky, dark and cloudless, the stars shining through the entire hall and the crescent moon, slender and delicate against its velvet backdrop. Harry chuckled, his embarrassment over the… incident on the train all but forgotten in the happy return to home. He still got stares and giggles, but this didn't surprise him anymore, just more publicity, more news, and more of him. He could definitely get used to this.

"Did you _see_ how huge that dagger between his legs was…"

"Potter has the most gorgeous arse I have ever seen…"

"My gods, his legs… wow…"

Harry smirked, unfazed by the attention of the girls and some of the guys lavished on him as he sat at his place at the Gryffindor table, polishing his fingers on his robes. He was still a bit tired, but he didn't let that stop him from smiling and flirting with Dean, Seamus and even poor Neville, who was so flustered he couldn't look Harry in the eye for the rest of dinner.

A familiar blonde head appeared over the masses and Harry smirked, calling out loudly, "Hey, Drakey, I'll meet you in our usual place! And if you're lucky, maybe this time I'll let you be on top!"

Draco whirled around, a look of complete shock on the pale features before they went completely white and just as suddenly flushing a brilliant shade of pink as he blinked widely at Harry.

Harry smirked in reply, "How 'bout it Drakey, but only if you wear that little leather corset for me!"

Draco flushed even redder and looked away, staring determinedly at his food.

"Aw Harry, that was cruel!" Ron somehow managed to say that all with a straight face before he completely busted up nearly falling off his chair in the process.

Draco glared venomously at the red-head before he smirked, "Certainly, but only if you promise to wear that lovely little French maid's outfit you stole from the Weasel."

Ron flushed and Harry's eyes flashed with amusement as a smirk worked its way onto his face, "You're all right, Malfoy."

Draco sniffed indignantly before turning back to his meal, picking at the little food he had gathered.

There was a soft tapping noise and all the students and teachers alike turned their attention to McGonagall as she stood, now their Headmistress instead of merely their teacher. "This is the point in the feast that I am to give you a speech." She hesitated, clearing her throat, "The Forbidden Forest, is strictly that, Forbidden, may I remind you, and letting the first years know. Recently in public light there is the threat of You-Know… V… Voldemort…" She cleared her throat again as a majority of the student body flinched, "Hanging over us, I would like to ask _all_ students to be on their guard this year, it will truly be dangerous. As such a new rule has been added, people must go in pairs at all times, or with a teacher when going from one place to another. Azkaban prison as of this time is out of business, seeing as their guards have joined the Dark Lord, and the seventh and sixth years should keep their wands with them at all times. Our new Defence teacher, Karin Glasgow, a warm welcome." McGonagall gestured at the end of the table with a small smile.

A scattering of applause for the pretty young woman, her grey eyes darted across the hall. She was small, pale, with shrewd blue eyes that swept the hall calculatingly, like she was sizing up all her future students. Her hair was pale, almost like Malfoy's if not for the thick chunks of dark red over the blonde, and she smelled strange to Harry, familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time. He liked her immediately as she waved fractionally before the attention returned, once again, to McGonagall.

"There, as usual, is no magic in the corridors," She said, "_Except_, for cases of self-defence, anything else will be a month's detention and forty house points gone for each spell cast. There is a very real threat to us this year; I wish you all the best. For now, we shall raise our glasses to the late Albus Dumbledore, hope for the best, and enjoy our feast."

Harry gnawed on his lip as every eye in the Great Hall settled on him; he knew they expected him to kill, to kill this burden of theirs, this monster. He chuckled slowly, grabbing a turkey leg to go with his mashed potatoes and let his eyes meet those that fell on him, and he gave a reassuring smile. He'd do what he always did, avoid trouble, seek it, then let it find him in the end, it always did. He smirked as he felt a familiar pair of eyes on him and he looked up at Malfoy with a faint smirk, something was going to be different this year, and it had to do with the arrogant blonde at the Slytherin table.

* * *

"Harry?"

Harry sat up and blinked in the darkness, his hands going for his glasses before he realised that he no longer needed them, "What, Ron?" He hissed, opening his curtains and glaring across at the half-blind red-head that stumbled towards his bed.

"Are you awake?"

Harry rolled his eyes and made room for Ron to sit, "No, I'm talking to you in my sleep." He said sarcastically.

"Really? I didn't think you could… OW!" Ron recoiled as Harry smacked him upside the head.

"You idiot! Of course I'm awake!" Harry snarled, his fangs flashing in the moonlight as he pounced on the half-naked boy, pinning him to the bed, "Now why did you come over here?" He sniffed at Ron, kissing his throat hungrily.

"Wanted to… see you…" Ron replied a bit brokenly.

"You see me every day, why not wait until light?" Harry nipped at the pulse beneath Ron's skin, laving his tongue over the minor hurt.

Ron gasped and writhed beneath Harry, "Just… wanted…" He gave a low groan as Harry nipped him again, "I…"

Harry nudged Ron's chin up, his tongue snaking over the pulse point again, "Ron…"

"Please!" He cried, arching up into Harry again, "For gods sake, Harry, just bite me!" Ron pleaded, wrapping his arms around Harry's head and pulling him to his neck.

Harry smirked into the pale flesh and dragged his tongue along the thick vein standing out as Ron gasped for breath, "Where do you want me to bite? Shall I mark your throat again?" He lapped at his previous mark, making Ron shiver and whimper, "Or shall I mark somewhere a little more… personal?" Harry growled and dipped his head, latching onto a nipple, making Ron groan low in his throat.

"Please, Harry, just bite, your killing me…" Ron whimpered, straining up into Harry's mouth.

Harry grabbed Ron's hands and pinned them down as Ron growled a protest, "Be still." Harry hissed, his tongue tracing a path down the red-head's abdomen, stopping at his freckled hips, his fangs elongating as his hunger bore down on him, the blood was throbbing strongly in a vein just beneath the surface and he lunged, his fangs sinking in deeply and the blood bursting, sweet and tangy, into his mouth. He could taste arousal in Ron's blood as well as desire and _need_ for release, for Harry… Harry groaned, tracing the substantial bulge in his best friend's pyjamas, making him squirm and plead as Harry pulled away, a trickle of blood running down his chin, the familiar heady taste bringing something else…

* * *

Helios' head hurt; scratch that, everything hurt. He hissed in pain as he moved to sit up, his body protested rather vehemently as he did so and discovered the soft bedding he lay on, like satin, a bed…

"Well, so he does awake, interesting." That voice… he knew it, somehow.

Helios opened his eyes carefully, the room was blissfully dark, but he could still make out the silhouette at the foot of the bed, "What…" His voice was hoarse from misuse and he cleared his throat, "What did you do to me?"

"I _made_ you. The first made immortal, truly a creation, once human, but made into something like me. Tell me, do you hunger?" His blue eyes gleamed in the faint light.

"… Yes…" Helios replied carefully, going to pull the blankets off of him before he realised he was naked and yanked them back over his midsection, his muscles screaming at the sudden movement.

"Are you in pain?" He asked, sitting on the bed next to Helios.

Helios carefully moved away from those cutting eyes before nodding infinitesimally, his hand going to his throat where most of the pain seemed to be resonating from. He could feel a scar already forming, a heavy bite mark, slashed and torn, it was probably a miracle he could still speak.

"That…"

"I _know _what this is from." Helios snarled, almost lashing out as He moved closer.

A sharp sting across his cheek and his head was snapped away, "You will not speak to me like that. I am your Master and you will treat me with respect." Helios spat at him and was rewarded with another slap, this time across his other cheek, and a clutching hand fell to his throat, "I don't think so, Helios. You are mine, you belong to me, you will do as you are told or you will regret it." The voice was low and malicious and the faintest hint of fangs was grazing his ear, "Understand?"

Helios' face twisted and he brought his knee up between the other's legs, nailing him with surprising force in his crotch, making him wheeze in pain as Helios rolled away from the hand, falling off the edge of the bed, no longer caring for his nudity as he ran to the nearest door, flinging it open and slamming it shut behind him, locking the door. It was a bathroom; towels were draped over a bar and a deep porcelain bathtub sat in the corner with _running water_, this man must be rich, this 'Master'. No window though, but there was clothing… sort of.

* * *

"Harry!"

Ron's panicked voice cut through the haze of his vision and he blinked in the darkness of the dormitory, "Hmm?"

"Harry, what the hell? You keep spacing on me, I can't wake you, it's almost as bad as your visions with Voldemort! Hell!" Ron flung his arms around Harry and hugged him tightly, "What is happening?" He sounded scared.

"I… I don't know." Harry lied, prising Ron's arms from around his neck and grabbed a pillow, wrapping himself around it, "I need some sleep Ron. I'm sorry I didn't finish what I started, I just need some time right now."

Ron's lips pursed, suddenly looking an awful lot like a male Molly, before relenting and sighing heavily, "All right, I'm letting you off because I need sleep too, I'll talk to you tomorrow and I'm going to have Hermione on my side, she'll get you to open up. She's better at that than I am anyways."

Harry chuckled, "Must be a girl thing."

"Yeah…" Ron yawned widely, crawling out of Harry's bed with a chaste kiss and crawled into his own, pulling the curtains shut.

Harry waited until he heard the red-head's snores before he ventured out, crawling into the window seat and staring out at the stars, immediately spotting the largest and brightest, the one he had labelled 'his star', Sirius. "What now?" He whispered. He stood suddenly, digging out his invisibility cloak and throwing it over his shoulders, disappearing beneath the shimmering material and sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower, and out to the Quidditch Pitch. He took off the cloak and laid it on the ground, lying back to get an unobstructed view of the glimmering jewels in the sky before oblivion took him.

* * *

Harry bolted awake; he had fallen asleep on the grounds, _shit, shit, SHIT!_ He stood quickly, glancing about to see if anyone was around before throwing his cloak over his shoulders and vanishing again, tearing down to the castle and pounding up to the Tower just as it opened and a storm of Gryffindors swept out, down to get breakfast, including Ron and Hermione.

"…I don't know where he is, he was gone when I woke, maybe he's at breakfast." Ron was saying.

"Well, I'm worried about him, he hasn't been himself."

"Well, 'Mione, he went through some serious issues at the end of last year, in case you don't remember, he _watched _as Dumbledore fell that night…"

"Still, something's off about him, I'm going to talk to him, did you notice how pale he is…?" And the two of them were gone as well as the others that came through and Harry snuck inside, darting up to the dorm, grabbing some clothes and jumping into a quick (and slightly cold) shower.

"Close that was." He muttered, he'd have to avoid doing that in the future, he thought to himself as he shook out his hair, threw on his clothes and darted out the portrait hole, accidentally slamming the Fat Lady in his haste and her protestations were clear all the way down the hall. He came into the Great Hall and plopped down between Ron and Hermione, "Morning." He yawned, grabbing a roll and nibbling at it.

"Harry, mate, where have you been? Didn't see you up in the dorms." Ron said through a mouthful of eggs.

Harry and Hermione both cringed at that, "Really, Ron, could you be less… piggish?" Hermione tsked.

Ron ducked his head in embarrassment, "Sorry."

"So, Harry, where?" Hermione interrupted.

"Fell asleep elsewhere…" Harry murmured under his breath.

"Where?" Hermione demanded, the girl wanted answers, damn her.

"Tell you later." He said, catching sight of McGonagall handing out schedules. His came up with Potions right after breakfast, with Professor Snape, with the man he had _seen_ kill Dumbledore. If there was a god, he (or she) hated Harry Potter with a vengeance, he mused to himself. Defence was after lunch with a free period after Potions and Charms after Defence and Transfiguration after that… that was good, that gave him a good hour and a half of free time at least once a day. He glanced up at the teacher's table, still no Snape, maybe he was avoiding him.

Ron groaned as he got his schedule, "Gods, Snape first thing after breakfast, I don't know how we're going to live with that one…" Ron continued mumbling around his food as Harry stood.

"I'll meet you there, I'm going ahead, see what's up." Harry slung his bag over his shoulders.

"Be careful, and watch your back, keep your wand out!" Ron called after him and Harry caught Hermione's nod of agreement.

* * *

Harry took Ron's advice and pulled his wand into his palm, tempted to cast a Notice-Me-Not spell on himself, but he'd probably wind up hexed into the wall with Snape's paranoia. He entered the classroom hesitantly, but there was no one in there, it was empty. He took a seat, sifting through his bag and pulling out his textbook, flipping through it absently, almost bored with the simplicity of the potions. In the back of his mind, he vaguely registered that he should be struggling with them, after all the trouble he went through last year, these shouldn't look like Aunt Petunia's recipes for whipped cream, but he ignored the niggling in his brain and closed his book, almost shoving it off the desk in disgust.

The door creaked again and he spotted Hermione entering, glancing at him and blushing ferociously as she sat next to him, "Hello, Harry." She said nervously.

Harry smirked, "Did you see something interesting?" He asked in her ear.

She shivered, "I-I d-d-don't know what y-y-you're talking a-a-about…" Hermione stuttered, her blush deepening and she pulled out her book and immediately disappeared into it as the rest of the class arrived.

* * *

All right, next it's the Potions class, it'll prob'ly be a rather short chapter, but it should express the (very) sudden crush our little hero develops on our Master of the Cauldron, Great Gloop Gauger, Lord of Lecherous Liquids, The Potions Master: Severus Snape. (cough cough) I hope you enjoyed :)  



	10. Most Potente Potions

_Oi, extremely late and crappy chappie will ensue, ye have been warned. (heavy sigh)_

* * *

The class entered nervously, jumpy if one student set their books down too hard, one girl even went so far as to scream as one tapped her on the shoulder too hard. Harry rolled his eyes as the girl smiled apologetically at the other person and sat down hastily, her eyes darting around. 

He could smell her fear, he could smell all their fear, even Ron was edgy and it was starting to give him a headache. His hand strayed to his scar, truth be told, he was not looking forward to this meeting at all, more than likely, Snape would corner him, yell at him, take away points for no reason and leave him with a worse headache than before. Needless to say, he was not looking forward to the confrontation. He sighed tapping his fingers on the desk and glancing about, the classroom was the same, same dark, forbidding-looking desk, same deadly array of potions ingredients, same, same, same, same, SAME! He dropped his head to his desk, causing an overly-loud 'thump' to echo in the classroom, making everyone jump at the noise and stare. He rolled his eyes, taking out his quill and playing with it between his fingers, before reaching over and tickling Ron with it.

"Harry, quit it." Ron hissed.

Harry complied, but reached over again and tickled him behind his ear, tittering to himself.

"Harry…"

The door flew open with a dramatic BANG! And there in all his 6' 4" glory, dark, brooding, venomous and deadly stood the indomitable Severus Snape. His ebony eyes sneered at the room with hardly a glance, the frown lines around his mouth deepening at the sight of his first class, first thing Monday morning, the teeth barely showing in a hint of the inevitable snarl.

Harry could do nothing but stare at the dark Adonis that had practically fallen into his lap, "Oh gods…" He murmured.

The black eyes settled on him, the poisonous mouth twisting into a lethal smirk, "What was that, Mr. Potter?"

The satin voice ran through Harry's system like a terrible drug, exciting and terrifying him at the same time, this year was going to prove interesting, "I said, 'Hell never looked so good,' sir." Harry replied, his own mouth twisting into a smirk to make any Slytherin jealous.

Snape sneered, "Ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter." He said dismissively, turning to the chalk board and tapping it with his wand. "Welcome, as Mr. Potter so eloquently put it, to hell. This is your seventh year, NEWT's class, a place to learn some of the more volatile and deadly potions, poisons, and various other breweries this year. I. Will. Not, put up with mistakes, as these mistakes will likely cost some of your lives. I suppose we can be thankful that Mr. Longbottom is not here." He smirked nastily, "The potion today… Mr. Malfoy, eyes up here!" Snape snarled at the blonde and rapped his wand sharply across the table, dangerously close to the pale boy's knuckles, "As I was saying, most of you will not recognise this potion, those that do…" Snape twirled his wand, "It is a particularly dangerous healing potion, apply too little, the ingredients will seep into your skin and cause and odd rash and/or skin discolouration, too much and you'll die. It can be ingested, but it is not the recommended way to use this, mostly because of…" He stopped as he realised ever face was turned to his, "Why aren't you writing this down, you lot of simple-minded imbeciles!" He growled, tapping his wand against the ingredients table and the various substances popping up. "The healing potion is used only in severe cases of injury, but rarely on anyone under the age of thirteen. They had better be done by the end of class. Begin!" Snape whirled his robes around himself and sat at his desk with a glower as the students went to retrieve their things.

Harry stood to gather his and Ron's things as an idea struck him and a malicious smirk lit up his face. He held back from the rest of the students gathering their things and was pressed close to the Professor's desk; he leaned back casually and nearly heard Snape snarl at the invasion of his precious space

"Potter! Why, pray tell, are you not gathering what you must?" His voice was dead calm and dripped poison, "Lazing will not be tolerated here, and 10 points for failing to follow instruction. Now get. Off. My. Desk."

"Why professor, I was waiting until everyone else had gotten their things, rather than pushing, possibly making something bad happen with an accidental mix?" Harry pouted coyly and pushed off from the sturdy oak desk, nudging his way through the crowd to gather his things as he felt Snape's burning gaze narrow in suspicion. He gathered the ingredients and sauntered back to his desk, setting himself gracefully into his seat and getting to work on grinding the dragon bone as he instructed Ron to chop the tulip stems finely.

Snape swirled his robes around himself, Harry taking notice of the way that the mans hips pivoted as he stood and stepped from behind his desk, the dark eyes sweeping the class with a practiced eye, "As soon as you add the tulips there should be an emission of pale orange smoke from the rolling boil that your potions should be at, if it is not doing so, dispose of the potion and you will fail the class for the day." He paused before Harry and Ron's cauldron, obviously disappointed that he couldn't force them to dispose of the steadily boiling liquid.

"Carefully, Ron." Harry admonished as Ron went to dump all the tulips in, in one go. He added the specified amount of manticore blood with the eye dropper and the potion turned and vibrant acid green almost instantly as the last drop went in.

Snape sneered as he came by, but moved on without a word even as Harry smiled flirtatiously at him.

* * *

The class came to a quick and deliberate close as Snape slammed a book down onto the desk, "Your potion should be complete, Zabini, you have failed to create even a decent rendition of the mixture, I am deeply disappointed in you. Ms. Parkinson, you are pathetic, did you not clearly read that only _five_ drops of wolfsbane extract was to be _injected _into the potion, not seven, plopped into, five points from Slytherin for your inability to follow the simplest of directions, and Potter, twenty points from Gryffindor, the colour is off, it is clearly stated that the potion should be a pale silver, not light grey. The lot of you, out of my sight!" He dismissed them with a vehement wave of his hand and sat down heavily into his chair, massaging the bridge of his nose. 

Harry lingered for a moment, watching the determinedly secretive professor before retreating hastily, for fear of removing even more points from Gryffindor, running to catch up to Ron and Hermione. "Wow, that was fun."

"Not." Ron huffed.

"Oh, go on you two, I have Arithmancy, you have Charms, get lost and I'll see you at lunch." Hermione rolled her eyes and trotted off.

* * *

Ack! I'm unwaveringly apologetic for the short, stunted chapter and for the enormously long update wait, my brain did a total fart on me and I was left to scrape up the shoddy bits of my imagination. I don't particularly like this chapter, it was more than likely my most difficult to spit out, but, no matter, it's here and functionable, though also very changeable, so keep peering at the updates and make sure a complaint is lodged if it is not satisfactory. Love and Kisses- _Wings_  



	11. Helios' Master

Yay! back for another chap and it's a wee bit longer than the previous one, AND IT HAS A BIT OF SMUT! please don't get upset! it's perfectly legal as long as no penetration is mentioned... i think... have to check up on that.

* * *

Pale flesh displayed before him like an edible parade, women, men, children, it didn't matter, they were all here, all for him, all for _his_ pleasure, _his_ comfort, _him, **him, **HIM! _Helios stood, suddenly furious at all the attention his Master was lavishing on him, lashing out at the nearest object, which happened to be a vase that he threw across the room and shattered in his frustration, "OUT!" He bellowed at the people, moving towards a much more dangerous object than a vase.

"You know, that vase was older than you." His Master speculated, almost absently, "Something wrong, Helios?" Master sat in the chair that Helios had previously occupied, his robe spreading out delicately like some obscenely red flower, displaying Helios' Master beautifully, something that should be worshipped, a god.

Helios dropped to his knees, his head bowed, anger spent, "No, Master." He said quietly.

He could feel his Master's eyebrow raise, "Come here, Childe." He spoke softly and Helios went to stand, "No, no," Helios paused, "Crawl to me, Helios, show me just how low you are."

Helios recoiled as if struck by a blow, "But…"

A warning snarl and he saw a flash of fangs that promised pain, rather than the preferable pleasure that they more often than not brought for him, "_Crawl_, Helios." Helios slumped in defeat, moving his hands forward, but… "Helios, you're not doing it right," the voice was condescending, "Like the little whore you are, Hel, show me your curves, precious."

He grit his teeth angrily, hating the wave of humiliation that washed over him with a shudder, "Y…" He couldn't say it, he wouldn't…

"Helios, what was that? Come, come, now, talk to me, sweetheart." There was a smirk in the voice.

He choked on the words, but they came out anyway, "Y… yes, Master." He moved forward, his hair, heinously long, it wasn't proper for a man, his smooth face, pale in the moonlight, as he gazed at his Master, his oppressor, his most hated enemy, but he would bow quietly to his whims, always. He moved carefully, shedding his heavy cloak so he could move more freely and approached the god on the great throne, stretching languidly at the creature's feet, his hands just grazing the tips of his boots.

"Come closer, Helios." He beckoned with a finger.

Helios cringed inwardly, but shifted forward anyways, his head rest gently on his keeper's knees as they fell open of their own accord and he could see just how much he had affected the vampire by the strain on the front of his trousers. Hands twined in his hair, pulling Helios closer to the barely contained erection, so close that he had to hold his breath to keep the musky scent from distracting him too much, his fists clenched tightly against the marble floors as he tried to turn away, but the hands held him steady and the voice was decidedly evil as it whispered in his head.

"Suck it, Helios, suck your Master off." The silky voice whispered, its crude words belying the arousal in Helios' face. The hands pushed him into the vampire's centre, the hips canting for the friction his cheeks offered.

Helios steadied himself against the chair, moving one hand to expose the great length that this creature hid beneath his fragile layers. It jutted into his chin proudly, precome leaving a glittering trail in it's wake, as Helios wrapped his rather small hands around his Master's cock, pumping it up and down, earning himself a soft moan from the vampire above him. He wrapped his lips around the swollen, throbbing length, carefully, trying to relax himself enough in time to prepare for Master's thrusting. He sucked on it like an obscene lollipop, bobbing his head as his mouth was fucked hard, the fingers in his hair tightening to almost painful and he looked up, watching the Master lose control, like only Helios could make him do, even though he was the passive receptacle in this act. Bitterness on his tongue and a heavy groan came to his ears as the cock in his mouth twitched and sputtered, releasing into him as he swallowed automatically and shifted uncomfortably against his own straining hard-on in his velvet trousers.

Harry bolted upright in his four-poster, the fine sheen of sweat drying uncomfortably on his skin did nothing to discourage the tent of his sheets, betraying the burgeoning erection betwixt his legs. He groaned softly to himself as he checked the time, only five thirty, oh well, at least he'd have the showers first, he thought as he threw the covers off, his nude body exposed to the cool air in the Tower, making him shiver. He gathered his clothing and padded into the bathroom, ignoring the mirror's shocked exclamation on his state of undress as he slipped beneath the spray of water, sometimes, on nights like this, it was hard to remember that he didn't really have any blood flowing through his veins.

* * *

So, there you go, will perform badly for reviews... can see the headlines now, "FANFICTION AUTHOR MAKES FOOL OF SELF IN ATTEMPT TO GET REVIEWS!" EXTRA EXTRA! oi! it's enough to make a woman cry, i swear!  



	12. Yes, There Will Be Blood

Hey! Wow, it's been awhile, forgive me, my grades dropped and the family had a cow, so much that they took my 'puter home with them... rather annoying, really, so there was this whole issue, then there was finals, and art class dramatically needed catching up to, so I've been a bit in the sinker lately, my greatest of apologies! (bows repeatedly in apology) Augh! This was a hard chapter to write, first off there was the issue of coming up with a plan for Mouldie Voldie to have in the first place, and then figure out how to play it out and all of that funfun stuff... There's no Helios in this chap, but I think there is in the next... dunno, have to check with the muses that decided to visit me every now and again with pops of intrusion in my dreams and other disturbing places... believe me, it's very terrifying to have a muse visit while doing dishes or while you're doing... bathroom... things. Or during a scary movie, but then it's usually my horror muse... and I'm babbling... all right then, on with chapterey goodness! ---> And it's been fixed, thank you...

* * *

Harry was on the grounds late Thursday evening, he had fallen into the regularity of his classes, barely avoiding detention nightly with his favourite Potions professor, neither Ron nor Hermione could figure out why he was so distracted and why he was 'purposely' egging the professor on with his shameless flirting, and Ron was even a little bit jealous. 

"Harry," He had approached the vampire a few days ago while he was 'studying', "Harry, what is going on?"

"I don't know what you mean, Ron." Harry looked at the red-head innocently.

"With you and Snape!" He had exclaimed, flustered.

Harry smirked, "Why I would assume the same thing that goes on between you and Malfoy."

Ron had flushed brilliantly, "Me and Malfoy? I don't…"

Harry's eyebrow arched, he had seen the two of them dangerously close, in each others face, eyes both full of passion for one another as they had argued, throwing barbs and spark-filled glares, "Really, 'cause I was pretty sure that you two were going to kiss…"

"Don't you dare say I was going to kiss the ferret, Potter!" Ron had hissed before he had smothered Harry's mouth with his own and shoved him into his bed, yanking the curtains shut as he effectively silenced Harry.

Harry smirked at the memory, stretching his arms to link his fingers behind his head as he walked, thinking. What really were his intentions toward the forbidding man? He pondered this as he came to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, pausing before climbing up into the branches of a tree and perching just high enough that he could see over the others. He liked him that was for sure, but how? He wanted to date him? Sleep with him? Love him? Harry paused at the last one; did he even know how to love? In what he had seen from who he was, Helios, he was not much more than a slave in his 'Master's' harem, and Harry himself was unsure of the emotion, the Dursley's certainly didn't care enough, let alone _love_ him, and the Weasley's, did they _love_ him, he was just a skinny, scrawny, orphan, who had no redeeming qualities other than having an incredible amount of luck on his side, not that his luck helped anyone else, Sirius, Cedric… even he died once, but happened to come back to life, with an alternate personality… sort of.

He sighed, watching the sun sink over the lake, his thoughts awhirl; curfew would be soon, he really should get back inside… later. He leaned back against the trunk, letting the night air wash over his face, the moonlight bathing him in its ethereal glow as he leaned into the beauty.

* * *

The boy was here again. Like a moth driven to the flame, he always wandered these grounds, as if searching for something that not even he could claim. He watched him, something was odd about him this year, like he had realized something and adjusted himself for the better. But he seemed lost, bewildered, like he didn't know what to search for, sure the Dark Lord was still rampaging about and the boy seemed to realize this, but he still searched, as if the answers to all of his questions lie in the moonlight with her ethereal glow. But Severus knew that the moonlight held no answers, he spent enough time screaming at her in his own younger days to know that. He stood, curfew was to be soon and Potter should be told. He wasn't doing it because he cared, god forbid, but he figured it would be… civil of him, to put the demons he harboured against the boy to rest, and let Potter know that bedtime was soon.

"Potter." He spoke quietly, knowing the child could hear him, "Potter, curfew, will be in a few minutes and unless you think that your house could stand to lose a few points, which I doubt they could, judging by the glance I took at it earlier, I suggest you move you contemplations indoors." He glanced up through the branches, spotting the green eyes that watched him closely.

"Yes, Professor, I suppose I should." Potter replied.

There was the soft rustling of branches as the boy climbed down, landing lightly on his feet like some great cat that had nothing better to do. "Quickly, Potter, you have ten minutes." Severus folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the tree, watching as Potter began to walk away before turning back to the Professor.

"Thank you for letting me know, it was… decent of you." Potter grinned and ran off towards the castle, as Severus raised an eyebrow at him.

* * *

It was late the following night when Severus got the summons. The fierce burning travelled up his arm and he rushed to gather his mask and robes before fleeing the grounds and Disapparating to his Lord's side. He performed the customary kiss of the hem of his robes and straightened to his place in the circle, his head bowed. He was fortunate he was early today, there would be retribution surely not speaking of Potter's reappearance.

"Ssseverus…" The red eyes turned onto his still figure and Severus bowed before him.

"Yes, My Lord?" Severus asked, not daring to look up at the eyes burning into him.

"Was there something you wanted to tell me?" Voldemort asked in a sick parody of Dumbledore's most popular question, except Severus knew that the kind twinkle would not be there when he answered.

"Yes, My Lord, the Potter child, he has returned to the school, he is alive, and seemingly oblivious to the fact that he is supposed to be dead." Severus responded quickly.

"And why," Severus bit his lip as the Dark Lord gripped his hair and pulled Severus to face him as the other Death Eaters began to Apparate, "Wasn't I told sooner!" He snarled.

"I could not get out from beneath McGonagall's eye; I could not escape to see you, My Lord." Severus responded, closing his eyes against the Dark Lord's vicious overturning of his mind.

"Severus… Crucio!"

Severus choked back a scream and curled up upon himself as daggers hot as lightning embedded themselves in his skin and his veins lit up from the inside out as he endured the Cruciatus Curse, "Please, My Lord… forgive me…"

The curse was lifted and Severus stumbled to his feet, "I do not forgive, Severus, you'd do well to remember that."

"Yes, My Lord." Severus bowed to him and retreated back to his place in the Circle as Voldemort stood to address his other followers.

"I have a plan. A way into Hogwarts now that Dumbledore is gone and the nuisance, Potter, is in a 'stage' of his life, shall we say?" Voldemort swept his cloak around him dramatically, laughing softly to himself, a terrifyingly sane look in his eyes, not like the previous madness that they were used to seeing. "Now, there is a spy I have recently acquired, extremely close to Potter himself, who will, not only report the boys movements, but keep up on the latest topics on the Hogwarts mainstream, people of interest, I'm sure you all understand what I mean, but they will keep me informed." Voldemort grinned, "Oh, yes…" He murmured, "Yes, there will be blood…"

* * *

Well... looks like Voldie got into them muggle movies again. damn him, he stole my cuzzies version of SAW II... bugger, (chases after evil fiend with broom) come back here! 


	13. Of Helios and Monsters

Yay! another chapter! Warning: VERY GORY! Especially at the end, I think I went into a bit much on the detail... I want to thank all my reviewers, you guys love me, you really lurve me! (sobs) Thank you!

* * *

"Harry?" 

Ron's question made the brunette look up, "Hmm?" He asked, sitting up from the Gryffindor table that had so kindly offered to be his pillow.

"Are you okay? You seem rather… distant lately." Ron said, sitting next to Hermione.

"Ron, don't be silly, Harry just reacting to the pressures of the upcoming NEWT's." Hermione scolded, "Anyone would be tired, right Harry?"

Harry had fallen back against the table while they spoke and drifted off again, his thoughts everywhere but on them.

"Harry? Harry!"

Hermione eventually managed to break through his haze and he blinked blearily. "Hmm?"

"You look like shit." Ron said.

"Thank you." Harry said sarcastically, sitting up and stretching, "I think I'm going to skive out today, I don't feel well."

"But Harry! You can't miss!" Hermione protested, "You have potions today!"

"I'm tired. I can't think straight, and I don't really feel like being picked on by Snape today." He replied, standing and slinging his bag over his shoulder, "Give the good professor my condolences."

Ron snorted, "Yeah, I'll do that." He said, stuffing a piece of toast into his mouth.

* * *

Harry fell into his bed, exhausted, for some unnameable reason his breathing laboured and a cold sweat breaking over him as he pulled the blankets back and crawled into bed, shivering. "Stop…" He murmured, voices whispering through his head, "Stop, please." He clapped his hands over his ears and clutched his hair, "No… No more…" The voice became clearer, sharper.

"Helios!"

"… them… Kill them!"

"You will destroy them! They are less then you!"

"No!" Harry sat up, throwing away the pressing hand of his Master. "I will not!"

"Helios! You traitor!" His blue-eyed Master snarled, "How dare you defy me!"

Helios hit him, "I defy you because you are wrong! I've had enough! You make me into this monster and expect me to follow your every whim!" He stood over his Master, "You are the traitor!"

The man scrambled to his feet, "You little brat! I make you into what I am, I give you my legacy, my life, to pass on to others, and this is how you repay me!"

"You gave me the legacy of Hell!" Helios retorted, lunging at him.

"And it is an honourable legacy!" He cried back, catching Helios' shoulders and letting himself fall back.

"Honourable? Honourable? Angels are honourable, you are a monster and you have made me into the first of your kind! Your first will make your end!" He pulled a dagger from his boot and was about to stab him when he rolled, placing his Master on top and Helios below.

"You can't, you forget who taught you all you know."

"I'll never forget!" Helios snarled, twisting against the ground to free his arms.

"You already have." And the blue-eyed man struck, like a cobra, his fangs sinking deep into Helios throat as he shouted.

"Damn you!" Helios snarled, grabbing a fistful of the hair that fell across his face, prying it back with supernatural strength, pulling away the prying fangs, "You'll not kill me so easy, Thomareav." He ground out, throwing him aside and flipping onto his feet.

"So you do know my name." Thomareav spoke softly as they circled one another; the prisoners all staring with rapt attention, not daring to look away for fear of missing something.

"I've always known!" Helios leapt at him, grabbing him about the waist and sending them both sprawling to the flagstones, rolling over and over, both trying to dig their fangs into the other, Thomareav with a calm patience, striking and making Helios bleed every time, and Helios with frantic movements, concentrated on vital areas.

"You won't win, boy." Thomareav hissed, pulling away from a particularly vicious bite on Helios' shoulder.

Helios growled, lunging forward, smacking their foreheads together with a sound similar to a ripe melon being run over, "I will…" He said a bit dazedly, rolling on top of his oppressor, slamming his hands above his head against the stone, and pinning him down, "I will!" He snarled forcefully, pulling away from Thomareav, blood trickling down both of their foreheads and into their eyes.

"You say it so proudly, you would go to all this trouble for _peasants_?" He said softly, seductively.

Helios sneered at the blatant disregard of the very people that had made Thomareav great, "These_ peasants_ keep you on your throne." He whispered just as seductively, leaning his head forward and touching against the man beneath him, "And I will no longer allow you to stay there!" He reared back, darting forward faster than Thomareav could follow and tore into the older vampire's jugular, sending a spray of blood across Helios' face.

Cold hands gripped Helios' cloak, pulling him closer to the blue eyes, "How… dare you." The voice whispered, dead already, making him shiver, "You will never be rid of me… I place upon you… a curse…"

"You wouldn't dare." Helios snarled, attempting to push his face away from the jet of blood that hit his face with every beat of Thomareav's undead heart.

"I will… follow you… beyond death… into your next life, and the next… and the next, until you… do not live again." The dying vampire's grip was strong and Helios could not pull away, "You will never be rid of me… Harry."

Helios snarled, pressing forward instead of backwards, sealing his mouth over the wound and drawing deeply, shivering coldly as the hands gripped his cloak tighter. He drank faster and faster, until not even the last drop remained within the withered husk of his old Master. "Bastard." He growled lowly, kicking aside the body and standing, blood ran thickly down his chin and along his bare chest, staining the cloak he wore, some with his own blood, some, that of the body that lay beside him. His fangs were elongated; his fingernails hooked into claws as he stared up at the moon and roared, "You hold nothing over me!" He slammed his fist into the marble pillar next to him, making it crack ominously all the way up, "I am my own master." The last stated softly, to himself and not the slaves who stared.

Harry growled as he found himself suddenly in front of the dungeons. Disoriented and feeling oddly sticky, he swayed on the spot. A coppery taste filled his mouth and his body felt like lead, "What…?" His knees gave way suddenly as footsteps came towards him and a voice, dark and very appealing called his name before everything went dark.

* * *

"…coated in the stuff and I can't figure out where it came from, there are wounds on him, sure, but this? Never in all my years…"

It was that voice again. Harry reflected absently. The voice that had called his name before… He opened his eyes to the sight of a very familiar white ceiling and he swore mentally, the hospital wing again. He shifted slightly against the sheets that made him twitch, his skin hyper-sensitive for some strange reason, as he reached for his glasses blindly, only realizing after a moment that he didn't need them any longer. He huffed softly, finally rousing the attention of the matronly Madame Pomphrey as she rushed over.

"What in heavens name were you doing, all cut up and wounded like that, wandering the cold dungeons blood everywhere…" She tutted over him, feeding him this and that, which he drank, absently wondering if they would all work the same on his vampiric body.

"Mmm. Potter, perhaps you would like to explain why you were wandering snake territory in that condition?" That smoky voice that Hel… Harry liked, and he looked up to see…

"Professor Snape." He said fuzzily, blinking again to bring the man into focus, "Wandering snake… was that the dungeons? What was I…" He thought over what had occurred in his nightmare and he looked down at himself, shocked to see bruises, and deep cuts in, not only his shoulder, but his chest, stomach and even over his neck and face. Like he had actually fought with… "Thomareav." He murmured.

"I beg your pardon?" Snape asked him, raising a coal eyebrow.

"Professor…" His brow furrowed, running a hand through his hair, "I slept-walked, I guess."

"In that condition? How did you become so… marred?" Cold and distant as ever, Harry noticed he was keeping well out of his range of motion.

"I… was fighting, in the dream I had." He lay back against the pillows, remembering the feel of the blood on his face and the taste of it, of His blood, of Thomareav's life trickling down his throat, the power, the exhilaration…

"Potter! Pay attention!"

Harry snapped his attention away from the memories and looked up sharply at Snape, "What?"

"I asked what you dreamed of." He repeated.

"_You will never be rid of me… Harry."_

"Nothing." He said, "Just a fight." He drew his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them, the images of the battle flashing behind his eyelids before he opened them quickly with a suppressed shiver.

"Just a fight huh? 'Just a fight' doesn't leave you with marks like this, Potter." He strode forward and peeled the wrapping off of Harry's arm, revealing the slowly healing, tattered skin of his shoulder.

Harry stared, horrified, at the torn and ragged edges of the bleeding wound, "Oh gods…" He shoved away Snape's hand and made to cover it back up frantically until Madame Pomphrey came and slapped his hands away, redoing it herself.

"Well, Potter? Was it another vision?" Snape sat in a chair next to Harry's bed, his coal eyes demanding an answer.

"No. It wasn't a vision." He challenged, his brows drawing together in irritation, "I don't know how the marks got there…"

"You dreamed of it, did you not? What happened in the dream?" Snape's voice was low and dangerous, his eyes narrowed and pinning Harry to the spot.

"I… I… I killed someone." Harry turned away, it was easier not to look him in the eye, as he had done with Thomareav.

"Who? I assume you knew him, or her, if even slightly, judging from the look on your face." Harry heard Snape lean back in the chair.

His eyes unfocussed and he stared off into the window, "His name… I had never before spoken… He was… His name… was Thomareav. And he was my…" He swallowed, "My Master." His voice came out in less than a whisper and a blush of humiliation graced his cheeks, embarrassed for admitting that someone had possessed a control over him, even though it was a past control and it was not even Harry who had succumbed to it.

"Mmm." Was all Snape said, indicating that he had heard him and was urging him to continue.

"I refused to kill someone and he was angry… so angry…" Harry buried his face in his knees, mumbling as he continued, "I returned his anger… and we fought, I spoke his name for the first time. He… He… I had inherited his Legacy… whatever that means, and I called a Legacy of Hell… my vampirism, I suppose. We fought, and I killed him." Harry shuddered, remembering the blood as it shot down his throat, warm, thick and rich… so good and yet… so terribly forbidden.

He could feel Snape's eyes on him, "Was that all? Were there no more words exchanged?"

"I… I don't remember." Harry lied softly, curling up tighter into himself and rubbing his face against his the sheets to be rid of the disgusting feel that came with remembering.

Snape's gaze was weighty as he watched Harry, but he finally heard the foreboding man rise, "Sleep well, Potter." He muttered.

"Good night… Severus." A more daring part of him added the end and he heard the footsteps pause before continuing out and down the hall.

* * *

"My Lord, they are ready." An officer spoke quietly, knowing that Helios didn't appreciate his silence interrupted.

Helios glanced back, a cold look in his eye as he looked over the forested area, "Are they?" He laughed coldly and the officer shivered, the armour on him rattling slightly. Helios could hear the man cursing himself inwardly for coming here.

"Yes sir." The soldier shook at his place, "We're ready to launch the first wave."

"Excellent." Helios stood from his chair, "Bring me my bow, I want to be there, but do not bring my helmet. Let me have that when I mount."

"Yes, My Lord." The officer bowed and left quickly, the soft patter of his bare feet on the flagstones the only thing that Helios could hear as he himself left the silent sanctuary that he dwelled in.

The sounds of bows clacking was the first sign that he had arrived at the designated area, the peasants lay spread below, their pitchforks and crude weapons no match for Helios' seasoned troops. They complained of famine, dragons, witches, warlocks; he laughed softly to himself and the soldiers turned to him, many bowing instantly at his appearance until he waved them to their feet. "Destroy them." Was all he said and took his bow from the returning officer. "I want none left alive, women will not be spared, they will be treated as any other soldier." His voice brooked no argument and his eyes narrowed, drawing the string on his bow, "Ready!" He called, aiming upwards, "Aim!" The sounds of many strings being pulled into firing position, "FIRE!" He bellowed and a slew of arrows flew through the air, sending many of the peasants to their deaths and others clutching potentially fatal wounds. "Draw again!" Helios did not pick his bow up this time, in favour of watching the slaughter below him.

"Sir." The officer, he really had to start taking down names, spoke softly, "There are more waiting in the forest, these first line were just fodder as it were."

Helios chuckled softly, "Thank you for the warning." He had smelled the others on the wind, of course, but he'd better play human for these people if he didn't want them betraying him.

"Of course, My Lord." The officer bowed.

"What is your name, officer?" Helios glanced at the red-headed young man.

"Darius, sir, Darius Malfoy." He kept his eyes on the ground.

Helios put an arm around the boy's shoulder's, "Come, look, tell me what you see." He gestured to the people below being driven into the dirt by the next rain of arrows.

"I… I see…" Darius looked away.

"Don't be afraid to speak your mind, I'll not have you decapitated for it." Helios spoke quietly, "Tell me what you see."

"I see…" Darius gulped again, "Sir, I see a slaughter."

"Mmm." Helios looked down, "Do you see an alternative?" He asked, taking his helmet from Darius, "Infantry, to your mounts!" He bellowed, "Come with me." He grabbed a helmet off a rack as they passed by, "Or will you stay here and fire on them?"

Darius looked as if he was caught in a moment of indecision, nervous, but excited at the prospect of getting to ride beside the legendary Helios of Bloodsguard. "I'll ride with you." He took the helmet from the vampire and Helios grinned toothily.

"Excellent."

* * *

An hour later the fields were painted red and Helios stood in the centre of it all, his sword stained with the blood of the peasants, not a scratch on his pristine face, but a certain madness glinted in his eyes as his face remained blank. He tore the shirt from a dying man, cleaning his silver blade before sheathing it. "Darius." He spoke quietly, but everyone heard him.

"Yes?" Darius rushed over, his torso soaked with sweat and blood.

"Make sure the bodies are taken to the fields for the carrion birds, I wouldn't want the vultures to starve today." Helios glanced down at the body of the dying man, stepping on him as he went towards his horse. The white stallion danced beneath the vampires fingers as Helios led him around, "Am I clear Darius?"

"Yes sir." Darius murmured, sending out instructions to the nearest group of soldiers.

Helios watched with a devious smirk as he mounted his horse, "Kya!" He kicked the stallion's sides, making him rear back and whinny as they took off to the castle, leaving the field in the dust.

* * *

Harry sat up with a start, his heart pounding, his entire body shivering, not with cold or fear, but with horror, what he was, what he had done, all those people… He clutched his head, drawing his knees to his chest and rocking back and forth, stifling sobs against his pyjamas. "Oh gods…" He murmured, pressing a hand to his forehead as pain filtered through his scar, as if he didn't have enough to worry about, he nearly forgot about Voldemort in his own personal crisis.

He felt himself being dragged under, his body going limp and his eyes rolling back into his head as images played across the inside of his eyes.

A spatter of blood first entered his vision and he was nearly sick as he felt his mouth water at the sight of the woman that Voldemort had gutted and the unborn child he tore from he stomach, leaving her to bleed at his feet. The man was alone, no Death Eaters in sight and a single stand with a ancient book with just as ancient bloodstains upon it.

"Now where is it…?" The Dark Lord muttered absently, flipping through the pages, adding to the death toll the book held, "Ah!" He mumbled to himself, the child, dangling by its umbilical cord from his hands off to one side, occasionally bumping against the podium as it swung sickeningly. "Now…" He glanced up, seeming to look straight at Harry, a slow, snake-like smile playing across his face, "Good, you're here." He said.

Harry swallowed back bile; he thought it was odd for him to be _outside_ of the Dark Lord's mind, and in this room. He made to walk forward, however he was unable to move. He looked down, an arcane chalk circle adorned the area around him, blood and black powder surrounded him and pinned his feet to the ground as sick, black light danced back and forth across the circle in the pattern of an upside-down star. He breathed, the scents washing over him, he wasn't usually able to smell things in visions, "What are you doing?" He demanded, "What is this?"

Voldemort smiled that snake-like smile again, "You'll see… you'll see…" He said doggedly, a terrible form of sanity in his eyes. He was calm, collected, cool, and no longer the mad thing Harry was used to encountering, but the monster was still there, sane or not.

Harry tried to press his hand outside of the circle, but encountered a wall, clear and undetectable, even to him as he pressed against it, "What is this?"

Voldemort glanced at him, "It is a Soul Circle." He said, "Used to entrap the soul of whomever you desire, usually used to call upon the dead for information, but can be used on the living, forcing them to leave their body and answer the call of the summoning, I used our link to pull you here without having to use anything of yours."

Harry swallowed heavily, "What are you going to do with me?"

"I'm going to trap you there, a nice little display, then I'm going to storm the castle, steal your body and do unmentionable things to it. Funny thing is, you can feel it all, but you can't fight back. You'll watch yourself and feel yourself be tortured, but you won't be able to do anything about it, and as your body dies, your soul there, will become more and more solid, so when we're done with your body, I'll let them use your soul raw, and if someone releases you… you die." He smiled cruelly.

Harry felt the blood drain from his face, and he fell back, "You are a monster." He murmured.

"Following the example of the great Helios of Bloodsguard, this is his book." He patted the monstrous thing in front of him.

"Wh… What did you say?" Harry swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat, "Whose book… is that?"

"Helios of Bloodsguard, you know, one of the oldest Dark Lords to ever take the title?" Voldemort shrugged, "Figures they don't teach you that in school." He murmured, setting the bloody child down, going over to the many shelves within the small room and pulling this and that down arranging it around Harry's shell-shocked form.

His book… His book… the words rang like giant church bells in his mind, he had written something that terrible. He had. It was His book, Helios of Bloodsguard… His… His… He slid to the ground, staring ahead blankly, oblivious to the whispers of Voldemort around him; what kind of monster had he himself been, that left Voldemort eager to learn such secrets?

* * *

Dun, dun, dun! and the plot thickens... Scary! Helios was a bad man! A bad, bad, man! Shame on him! (Spanks Helios) I wonder what happened to him to make him like that? (shug) The world may never know! (Unless I tell 'em!)  



	14. The Soul Circle

Heheh... Hope some of you are still paying attention to me... I do exist, I swear! I've moved recently and everything's been rather nuts. I'm not promising that I'll update more often, because I likely won't, just so you know. But I will update and I WILL finish this story. It just might take some time. (grins sheepishly) Sorry guys, I wish I was more reliable, but I'm a slave to my muse. Don't worry though, this chapter's a bit longer I think, than some of the others. And thanks for all of my reviewers, I luv ya all!

* * *

Severus was uneasy about this new development in the 'Potter Problem', mind you very few problems of his _didn't_ revolve around that bloody Potter. Covered in blood, sleep-wandering the _dungeons_ for hell's sake! He snorted, pressing his head against the wall of his room, the coolness of the stone allowing him to think. The blood did not all belong to Potter, there was too much of it for the boy to survive losing that much. He paced his rooms again, thinking heavily on the matter when Poppy appeared in the fireplace, nearly startling him out of his skin. "Poppy, for gods sake, what do you think you're doing?" He snarled at the woman. 

She glared at him, "I was coming to tell you that Potter has slipped into some sort of coma and I do not know why, I was wondering if you have something for it, but seeing as I'm disturbing you, I'll put off the welfare of my patient for a few hours while you think!" Her voice had risen dramatically as she reached the end of her sentence and her glare had turned downright ugly.

Severus acted unimpressed by her tirade, "Is that so?" He drawled.

"Severus! Get down here immediately! And bring any potions that you may or may not have to remedy this situation." She snarled, her head vanishing with a pop.

"Very well then Poppy, your so very welcome to my personal potions store because gods know _I _certainly won't have any use for them." He muttered to no one, "Brilliant idea, by the way Poppy, use them all on that infernal Potter child…" He huffed, digging through his potions stores for anything of use.

* * *

He arrived to the relative chaos of the Infirmary McGonagall was pacing and the Defence teacher had appeared out of nowhere, a blank look on her face as she gave Severus a cool assessment. He shivered under her scrutiny, he didn't like her one bit, unfortunately for him, she had been a huge success with the students and McGonagall didn't look like she was about to let her go anytime before the end of the year, a real pity for him.

"So, Severus," Her voice was clear and had a no-nonsense tone to it, "You're the guy they go to for all the answers I hear."

"Excuse me, I didn't realise we were on a first name basis." He said acidly, "Now if you'll move, I have a student to attend to." He made to step by her, but was intercepted by an arm, "Remove your limb from my path or it will be the next ingredient to a potion that requires it." He narrowed his eyes at the woman.

"I need an answer, they say you have them all." She replied, her tone just as clipped as his.

"Unfortunately for you, Miss Glasgow, I am _not _a miracle worker; I do not perform feats of impossibility, much less to the likes of you!" He was impressed, his voice had remained steady and calm, his effort to keep his anger inside was working, "Now I have a sick student to attend to, move!" He pushed her aside as rudely as he could, nearly knocking her off her feet and into the Headmistress.

"Severus!" Minerva scolded lightly.

"Minerva, keep your opinions of my manners to yourself as I attend to Potter's sudden lapse in awareness. When I'm finished, _then_ you may berate me." He said calmly, making his way over to the last bed in the corner by the window. Potter lay still, as if in death, it didn't seem even as if he were breathing, "Poppy?"

"He's alive, but he won't wake. I was concerned when you brought him in, but he didn't appear to have lost the proper amount of blood to go into shock…" Poppy paced at the end of the boy's bed, occasionally casting diagnostic spells over him, but nothing she tried seemed to point to the reason why Potter was in a coma.

Severus frowned; Potter was out cold, the only beacon of light during the war efforts, down for maintenance, so to speak. He sighed, they would have to be careful, "Poppy, this is not to get out to any of the students, I would prefer it if Miss Glasgow's memory was erased of this incident, if it is possible, the fewer that know, the better. It would not bode well to have word of this spread to the populace." He murmured to the medi-witch.

She frowned for a moment, as if thinking over the solution before nodding her head, "Perhaps it would be best then. I will tide Minerva over then, but I was never very good at Memory Charms, Severus, you will have to do it… And be nice!" She scolded after seeing the devious smirk alight on Severus' face.

"Poppy, I'm always nice." He replied sarcastically.

"Of course Severus, as nice as a cobra on a particularly bad day." Poppy hissed.

"I _was_ a Slytherin…" He smirked and shut the curtain behind him, pulling his wand from up his sleeve, the smirk on his face once more.

* * *

Harry had been slipping in and out of sleep for the past few hours, unable to move as he was, he fell asleep against the wall that kept him imprisoned. Voldemort had slipped in and out, occasionally placing this and that around his circle, throwing a few nasty comments his way, and, more often than not, looking at his book, or rather Helios' book., nodding and smirking at this and that as he delved deeper and deeper into the book's recesses.

Harry looked around sleepily, pressing his hand against the glass-like wall that prevented him from leaving, lightly banging his forehead against it, "What to do, what to do, what to do…" He chanted to himself.

He sat up with a start, of course he wouldn't know what to do, however, _Helios_, would, the thing that had awakened when he had died. He slid down the wall into a sitting position, calling up what little he had actually retained of his Occlumency and Legillimency lessons with Professor Snape. His body relaxed and his mind fell shut to outside influences as he tentatively touched the part of his mind that he dared not go since the day he had awakened a vampire, this was where Helios slept, and this was where Harry was dragged into when he fell to Helios' spell.

A soft, menacing growl reached Harry's mental ears as he searched for a way in, "_Little mortal shell, what, pray tell, do you think you are doing?"_ The voice was by no means friendly or gentle, but for some reason it soothed Harry's fears.

"I came to seek help…" Harry pressed a weaker spot in the impenetrable darkness.

"_What predicament do you find yourself in that you must seek me out rather than myself stepping in to save your pathetic hide?" _ Harry could hear the sneer in Helios voice.

"I…" What could Harry say to convince the nearly omnipotent dragon of a man to come out?

"_What indeed. That is my book that pathetic little human man has, I'll not have it fall into such disarray due to the mortal's foolishness…" _Helios' voice was aught more than a snarl, furious, it seemed, that something of his own creation should fall into such pathetic hands. "_See? You begin to think like me already, you truly are my resurrection."_ Helios whispered, stepping out of the darkness.

Finally, Harry was able to lay eyes upon himself as he once was, once upon a time. They stood about the same height, surprisingly enough, their face nearly copied, but the real difference was their eyes, while Harry's were tired and burdened most of the time, Helios' were cold, and emotionless, calculating and cruel, they held none of the warmth that Harry had felt during Helios' flashbacks. "So are you going to help me?"

"_It would seem, little shell, I have no choice." _Helios responded, gesturing for Harry to lead the way.

* * *

Harry's eyes opened, but he could feel Helios' peering through them as well, _Great, a Soul Circle, that's a little irritating, and dammit, innocent's blood, that's a pain in the arse…_" Helios babbled quietly in Harry's head for a few more moments Harry doing his best to stay patient and wait for the aeons-old Ancient to come to his conclusion, but it was difficult when he felt his concentration slowly start to slip as the circle suddenly began to glow. _"Uh-oh… trouble for you, Shell-Boy." _Helios murmured, retreating farther into Harry's mind, _"Listen closely, this solution will take time, this idiot of a mortal did his work well, unfortunately, and the answer to this particular problem is difficult, the Circle is tamping your magic and preventing you from merely overloading it, so you must concentrate and _underload_ it." _Helios said quickly, "_To do so, push away your magic, difficult and a more than likely painful process, but it will stave the Circle and you will be able to return to your body. Now listen very carefully, as I explain this procedure, first you must delve into your magical core, it should be in the very centre of you world."_

"What?" Harry's brow crinkled.

Helios sighed_, "Your core, what everything you do revolves around, some men it's their head, their cocks, their hearts, their stomachs… your personal goals reflect your magical ability. Your gluttonous friend Ronald's core is in his chest, his life revolves around you and eating, therefore it lies between his heart and his stomach, Granger's would lie in her throat, between her heart and her head. Think, where would yours lie?" _

Harry frowned, placing his hand over his heart, "Here I suppose…"

"_Mmm… mine resided elsewhere." _Helios said, _"Now that you've got it, smother it, imagine whatever to put it out, but make sure it's not completely gone, leave a little bit so you don't collapse suddenly and Stupid Mortal suspects something."_

"Gee, that's reassuring." Harry said dryly. He opened his eyes once more and nearly yelped in surprise at what he saw. Lines of green fire were permeating everything around him, killing the lines of red fire scattered everywhere, "What the…"

"_Your magic and Stupid Mortal's, they're fighting and it looks like you're winning. That won't be enough, leaving it would take too long and Stupid could rebuild his flames faster than you could. Put out the fires for now, we'll deal with your core when you can keep these in check."_ Helios said monotonously, his immortal interest leaving Harry's predicament and returning to drowning in his memories.

"Do you mind? Submersing yourself in your sucky past isn't going to help me." Harry growled.

"_Ex-_cuse_ me?"_ Helios snarled, _"I don't recall there being a contract for me to help you just because I reside in your body, shove off and let me to myself. I leave you when you wallow in _your _misery, grant me the same courtesy."_ Helios' voice dripped with acid as he turned away.

Harry sniffed, returning to his problem at hand. Suppressing his magic was _hard_, and as Helios had mentioned before, extraordinarily painful, if felt like he was killing a small part of himself each time he tamped out another flame and he flinched each time another small part of him fell numb.

"_Knock it off, the information in your head is screwed up enough without you shaking everything up… Jesus! What the hell _do_ you know? This stuff is simple! I was doing Summoning Charms and studying Legillimency when I was five!"_ Helios snorted, shelving another of Harry's mental books, "_I could teach you this crap with my eyes closed."_

"So do it then, if you're so good, teach me." Harry growled, not honestly expecting Helios to take up the flag.

"_If your going to be an idiot the rest of your life, go get a bloody psychiatrist to tell you that I'm just a bloody figment, but for your own safety, don't you dare patronise me." _Helios snarled, snapping a book shut, _"This stuff is all crap, shit to fill your heads so you can fit into society, but well behaved children never made history books." _He tossed the book and began going through the dreadfully empty shelves, throwing this and that whilst Harry continued tamping out the flames, his body slowly becoming more and more sluggish as he got closer and closer to his core.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry inquired.

"_I mean, you're never going to stick around in the world unless you do something greater than killing another Dark Lord. Your name won't be remembered and history will repeat itself in a horrible cycle."_ Helios responded calmly, another book hit the floor as he spoke.

Harry chose his words carefully before he spoke, "Is that why you became a famous Dark Lord?"

Helios paused, his face falling pensive, "_What I did…"_ He seemed to want to say something, then thought better of it, pushing Harry away, _"What I did I had reasons for doing. I won't lie and say what I did wasn't wrong, it was, and it was terrible, and in the end, the means did not meet the results. It was not equivalent, the lives I took for what I wanted… needed. My personal solace should not have been those others pain. I was… am an evil person, and once upon a time, you were me. You have to make peace with yourself, for you will be faced with a similar choice, if I am not mistaken in the curse placed upon us. I will speak to you no more on these matters, continue what you were doing, Shell Boy."_

* * *

It was hours before Harry had worked his magic down to where the Soul Circle had begun to flicker and dance, it's abilities strained as they were, reaching for what little of Harry's magic remained.

"_Now is where it gets hard, start to feel for your body."_ Helios said suddenly, almost startling Harry enough to release the barriers on his magic.

"What?" Harry asked, wavering with the pressure.

"_Feel for your mortal existence. Feel for where you came from. The Circle is weak enough that you can do that now. Once you have a hold of it, siphon off the rest of your magic into it." _Helios was moving around in Harry's head again, finished with the books of Harry's knowledge, he was doing something, Harry wasn't sure what.

Harry wasn't certain how to go about 'feeling for his body', as Helios put it, but he decided to go backwards, remembering the feel of the sheets against his skin, the smell of antiseptic and the sharp ozone of electricity that came with magic, and the fumes of potions that were meant to heal and promote strength of mind and body both. The sounds of Madame Pomphrey bustling around and the dark baritone of Snape's voice, that voice he quite liked…

"He is not in a coma, Poppy, if he was, he would be responding to something. As it is…"

He grappled for that sound again, but it started to slip…

"Brain dead at best… mental… simply not there… I don't… what could have caused this…"

He could feel the sheets against his hands and up to his neck, the sun was on his face and there was the heavy scent of cinnamon and black tea. Sweat was cooling on his face and he sensed that there were two people on either side of his bed, one had to be Professor Snape, the other…

"Severus you can't possibly think there is no hope!" Madame Pomphrey exclaimed.

"I honestly don't… Poppy… He… n't dead… Potter… Potter!"

"_Potter!" _Helios dragged him back into the Circle, "_How dare you! That wasn't what I said to do!"_

Harry's concentration nearly broke, a headache bore down on him like a freight train and his magic nearly exploded out, "What are you doing! I was almost back!"

"_Fool! If you don't do this right, he'll just do it all over again! And then! Then, we'd have a real problem on our hands. Little idiot, stupid Shell!" _Helios snarled, spitting out a few more colourful curses as he went.

"What's the big deal?" Harry said, once Helios' tirade was finished.

"_Fool! There is a right way and a wrong way of doing everything. If you had left and returned to your body, you would have broken the Circle and built no immunity to them, if you do as I tell you, you will have a bodily, physical, mental, block against this sort of thing." _Helios said calmly, taking a seat, "_Now, I said give your magic back to your body, not return to it. Remember your body, but remember your body, not the world around it. Simply remember what it is to be, The Shell. Remember your mortal, and semi-immortal existence, but not your loved ones, or the things that are precious to you. Become yourself, but not who you are. Then, push your magic to it. To that existence and the Shell, if you do it right, the rest of your magic will be sucked in and drawn from this cage, if you remember what makes you who you are, you will get sucked in with your magic and simply be yanked out and you might leave bits behind. That would be bad. Then Stupid Mortal could summon you back, except with a physical form, if he read that book correctly, which, no doubt, he has. If he summons you with a physical form, you are divided and he could draw the new form into what ever he wants. He could make you his sex slave and you would have no choice, because he recreated you and you are his slave. And if you draw me into that sort of existence, I will see to it that you die a painful and horrible mental death. Over and over."_ Helios suddenly became vicious, his eyes livid as he growled in a purely animalistic way. "_Do I make myself clear?_"

Harry nodded and reached for his body again, ignoring the other stuff that called to him, he pressed a bit of the dark green light that surrounded his heart into that… for lack of a better word, Shell.

It was as if everything in the world was happening all at once, everything rushed by his head a whorl of noise, and light. Like every thing he had ever experienced was happening at the same time. His fight with Voldemort was happening at the same time as Cedric was dying at the same time that Ron was accusing Hermione of being a traitor to Harry himself and Snape was taking away points and Sirius was falling and Dumbledore was watching, and McGonagall was frowning, and Hagrid was sobbing, and Mrs. Weasley was fussing…

And then it stopped.

Harry was on his knees in the Soul circle, gasping for breath, curled up as pain wracked his body, as if he was exploding and imploding, and being tortured, and being thrown around the room all at the same time.

"_Oh did I mention that it would be extremely painful afterwards?" _Helios said casually, "_Everything in the world is being stretched to accommodate what you wanted to do, now the repercussions are happening. We just stretched the universe Potter, be proud of yourself."_ He laughed dryly.

"Shut up." Harry said slowly as the pain fled and left him curled up on the floor, still in inside the blasted Circle.

"_Look on the bright side, now all you have to do is walk outside this Circle and then it's off to Shell-land, back in your body, safe and sound."_ Helios sounded far too chirpy for his own good.

"Who says I can just walk out of here?"

"_Look stupid, this Circle was designed to keep a wizard in, now that there's no wizard, you can just waltz on out, the Circle will stay up because Voldemort's magic keeps the Circle slightly satiated, and stupid-head will be none the wiser… until of course, he comes and checks on us and we're not there. Look forward to headaches." _Helios gestured and Harry withdrew from the recesses of his mind, nearly becoming sick as awareness rushed back into his body and the stench of old blood, mingled with the sickness of other prisoners hit his sensitive nose, "_You will need to feed soon."_

"I know." Harry gasped aloud, moving slowly to the edge of the circle and rolling out.

At first, nothing happened, then a soft glow surrounded him and small lights began to float above his skin, floating away, like small fire-bugs. Then more and more began to drift away and Harry felt the awareness of his body slowly leave him and he was floating, away and across many distances. He couldn't see, hear, taste, smell, anything at all, just a simple awareness of soaring and movement. Until he was slammed back into his senses with a howl of pain, all of his muscles seized up at once and he contorted viciously in the confines of the sheets, his body leaping feet into the air as he twisted wildly; over and over. He could feel hands… two pairs, struggling to hold him down and a sharp jab of pain in his leg, then simply nothing.

Nothing but the wry voice inside his head, "_I neglected to mention that this too would be painful…"_

* * *

Oh! pain! yay!... Yeah, so I'm a little sadistic to my poor Harry schnookums... you didn't hear that. To my poor Harry. So what, you know you people love angst... come on, you know you do... (pokes)_  
_


	15. Waking for the Match

Heya! If you'll all note, I've updated in a more or less timely manner and it's my longest chapter yet! I think... Anyways, it's a good chapter too. I quite like it.

* * *

Harry slowly became aware of his environment as he was dragged from the recesses of his mind. The sheets were still scratchy and the Hospital Wing still smelled of potions and ozone, and the voices were talking again, but Hermione's high pitch and Ron's loud tone accompanied them. The darkness was suffocating, but he couldn't seem to alleviate the pressure that held down his eyelids and let them all know he was awake.

"_Welcome back Shell."_ Helios said in his mind and Harry was able to groan aloud.

"You could have warned me." He rasped as the voices stopped and rushed over to his bedside.

"Harry! Oh god, Harry!" Hermione's sobbing was rather noisy and hurt his ears.

Harry flinched away from a touch and he finally opened his eyes, the lead weights finally seeming to lift and he blinked blearily and gave a jaw-cracking yawn, covering his mouth with a hand. He noticed Snape's,_ "Severus'." _The voice in his mind whispered, eyes trained on his mouth and a contemplative look in the inscrutable black eyes.

"Harry, thank the gods you're okay." Ron sighed next to him and Helios cringed.

"_Why him? Your best friend? Even I had better tact than that." _Helios turned away in disgust and retreated back into his little box, _"Seeing as I'm not needed anymore."_ Were his departing words.

Harry groaned softly, feeling extremely drained, "What…" He winced at the rasp in his voice and cleared his throat, trying again, "What happened?" He said.

"You had fallen into, more or less, a brain dead sleep." Severus had stepped forward, pushing Hermione and Ron aside, "Do you know why?"

Harry, uncomfortable suddenly, shook his head determinedly, "I'm sorry, no." He looked away, laying back against his pillows, his eyes slipping shut in an attempt to feign sleep. It took him longer than he would have proffered to shake the others away, and he still wasn't completely certain if he had shaken off Severus just yet, but he was grateful when he felt no one's presence by his bedside, or anywhere that he might be discovered when he opened his eyes. He sat up, glancing around and thinking quickly on how fast he could get a meal when Ron appeared from behind the curtain.

"I thought not." His friend said with a wry grin and pulled a chair up next to him, "Spent too many hours in the dorms to know otherwise." The red-head smiled good-naturedly and rested his head on Harry's bed, "You had us worried." Ron's eyes fell and studied the sheets.

"I'm sorry." Harry pulled his knees up to his chest and set his chin on top.

Ron laughed hollowly, "You know, funnily enough, I don't think you are."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Really? What makes you say that?"

"You do stuff like this to us yearly, and without fail, we worry and angst over it." Ron bit his lip, conflict arising in his eyes, seeming to choose his next words with caution, "And… I think you know we do…"

"Are you saying I do this on purpose?" Harry said, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"No, I'm just saying, you aren't sorry, you shouldn't have to be, it's a part of your life that we can't do anything about. It's a piece of you that comes with the marvellous 'Harry Potter Package Deal' and…" Ron choked here, turning his face away from Harry's scrutiny, "I… I don't think I can deal with this on a level that I need to. I can't…" Ron paused again, his fingers tapping against the sheets, "I can't deal with this on a… romantic level. I don't know how. McGonagall came for us, Hermione and I, personally and told us that there was a very… a very real chance that you were either going to die, or already dead. I can't deal with that on a… boyfriend-like level." Ron sighed, "I guess… what I'm trying to say is that… I don't think we should be boyfriend and boyfriend anymore, I think you and I are… better off mates." Ron finished with a deep breath.

"So… what you're saying is, you don't want to go out with me anymore?" Harry said, his eyes staring straight ahead.

"Yes."

"Mmm."

"What does that mean?"

"Mmm."

Ron sighed, "You're not helping."

Harry grinned in response, "I wasn't aware I was supposed to." He said, the grin falling away almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"Harry, I…"

"Don't say you're sorry, because if you do, I'm going to smack you." Harry said before Ron could finish, "I don't mind so much, it was nice I guess, but you're right, it's time for you and I to close this book. We are better off friends."

Ron looked at Harry, his eyebrows nearly in his hair, "Harry, I…"

"You expected something else?" Harry looked away from his red-headed friend, choosing to stare out of the window instead.

"Um, yeah, a little I guess… I… I dunno what I expected, but not just 'Ok Ron, have a nice day.'" Harry heard Ron scratch the back of his head.

He chuckled, "Yeah, right, I'm… not the same as I used to be, Ron, you should _expect_ anything of me."

Ron laughed a little, "Yeah, I guess not…"

A slightly awkward silence fell between the pair.

Harry shifted in his bed, throwing the covers off of himself and going to stand up, he almost regretted the decision when he suddenly found himself on the floor, "Ron." He said, blinking at his sudden lack of height, "How long have I been stuck in that bed?"

"Um, about a month and a half or so… It's almost Christmas…"

"Mr. Weasley, I see you have woken Mr. Potter from his rest."

Ron winced as the cool tone of the Potions Professor came from behind the curtain before it was swept aside. "Ah, Professor Snape, I was just on my way out…"

"See to it that you stay out this time." Snape glared at Ron as he retreated from the infirmary, then turned his attentions to Harry, frowning when he found him on the floor and rolling his eyes, "Drink this." He thrust something into Harry's hands and Harry was left with no choice but to take the vial.

"What is it?" The liquid (if you could call it that) didn't look like any potion he had ever seen before.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Snape replied dryly still not bothering to pick him off the floor and casting a few spells over him, making Harry twitch as he felt the magic settle over him. Snape arched a delicate brow, "Have you always been so sensitive to magic?"

"_Say no." _Helios murmured into his ear.

"Why?"

"_Just say it!"_ He hissed.

"No." Harry said aloud, glancing up at Snape to see if he had noticed anything.

Snape was looking at something in his hands and hadn't seemed to acknowledge Harry's slight hesitation, "Mmm." He replied, looking up, "Look into the light." He said, holding up the thing in his hand, a small light globe.

Harry was compliant and did as he was told, "What is all this, and where's Madame Pomphrey?"

"It's something to test your abilities, see if you are all in working order, and Madame Pomphrey is off taking care of other students, I happen to be the closest thing she has to an assistant, so don't be surprised to see me more often here." Snape replied.

Harry thought about it for a moment and decided that he wouldn't mind too much if it were Snape attending him instead of Pomphrey, at least Snape would see sense. So he nodded and tried his best to be as compliant as possible, for fear that the Potions Professor's amiable mood evaporated from over use.

"For once Potter, you more help than hindrance, congratulations, you are free to go." Snape finally said some hours later after he had retrieved Harry from the floor after earning a reprimand from Pomphrey about cold floors and patients not mixing. Every possible thing had to be checked and was checked before he was even allowed to stand again, double checking that he was in proper working order.

"Thank you ever so, Professor." Harry said, hopping down from the bed.

"_Why are we so short?"_ Helios asked suddenly, startling Harry slightly.

"_We?_ No, no, no, _I_ am slightly on the short side, there is no_ we_ in this relationship, _Master Helios."_ Harry growled mentally, smiling winningly at the Professor on his way out.

"_No one's called me that in a long time, Shell-Boy. I'd watch your tongue, were I you, you forget who the stronger is in this body."_ Helios mumbled.

"Yeah, me, since I'm the one who originally owned it." Harry replied tartly, "So why was the magic question so touchy for you?"

"_Magic sensitivity also indicates power levels; I don't need people suspecting how powerful you are. By the way, _have _you always been sensitive to magic?"_ Helios inquired, suddenly curious.

"Yes, actually, I've always been like that." Harry grumbled, shoving Helios away from the front of his mind for now. He strode quickly to the Gryffindor common room, pushing open the door, much to his relief; there was no one there to accost him on the way to his room. He supposed it was because everyone was in classes and he had been excused for the rest of the day 'to catch up on rest' not that he needed it, he had been out for a month, what use did rest have for him now?

"_Nothing."_ Helios said, "_Look, I can help you, teach you a few tricks, something to keep Stupid Mortal on his toes at least. I'm forbidden from revealing all of my secrets, but, what I can teach you will at least keep you alive. And me by default."_

Harry snorted aloud, "Figures, the only reason you have to help me is to help yourself, isn't that the way it always is?"

"_Shut it, you and that gods forsaken hero woebegone nature."_ He harrumphed in return, _"Do you want my help or not?" _

Harry sighed, "I suppose I haven't much choice, now do I?"

"_Not in the least. Now, head to the Room of Requirement, that's where we need to go for now, that's the only place safe enough to practice what we're about to use."_ Helios murmured.

"You aren't going to teach me the Unforgivables are you?"

"_No, but some of the spells are considered Dark, so better to be on the safe side, okay?" _Helios spoke about them easily, as though they were normal everyday things.

"So I need someplace…"

"_Hidden from magical and muggle eyes alike, a haven where magic cannot be sensed in any form it has taken and somewhere large enough to move and fight in. I'm going to teach you a spell that you can use to spar with." _

"Spar? I've never…"

"_I know. We're going to fix that."_

"Oh… Yay…"

"_You don't sound very enthusiastic."_

"I'm not."

For the next three weeks, with Christmas drawing ever nearer, Harry was put through his paces, Helios forcing his body to move, even when Harry himself couldn't summon the energy to do so. He taught Harry how to use his magic to be the most effective in a single spell and slowly taught him the finer points of being a vampire as well.

It was after a month's worth of this that Harry began to feel the effects of the vigorous workouts, rejoining the Quidditch team was a long time coming and the others had been waiting for him, with Ginny as a stand-in until he could return. Gryffindor had won all of their matches, but none were, apparently, as spectacular as when Harry played and their next match was against Slytherin. Oh goody.

Harry was looking forward to the match, facing Malfoy was always fun, especially now that he had decided to grow up over the summer and was treating Harry and his friends with a little more respect…

"Watch it Potter!" Malfoy's face appeared out of nowhere and Harry suddenly found himself flat on the floor staring up at the ceiling.

Then again…

"I told you to watch it Potter, or can you not see past you own nose, oh great and wonderful one?" Malfoy's cronies snickered as the Slytherin Prince gave Harry a sneer.

"Knock it off Malfoy." Ron stepped forward, beyond Hermione's reaching hand, his demeanour cool and collected, not his usual self around the snotty Malfoy heir.

Malfoy looked at Ron, a strange look in his eyes before suddenly turning on his heel and gesturing for Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of the Slytherins with him to follow, "We'll meet again on the field, Potter." He called over his shoulder.

Harry righted himself, glancing over at Ron worriedly, Hermione by his side, "Are you…" he placed the back of his hand over Ron's forehead, "When did you get so mature?" He asked as Ron pushed away the offending hand.

Hermione looked concerned as well, "Seriously, that wasn't like you at all."

"I… I don't know. I just decided it wasn't worth getting all worked up over, he's just annoying, that's all." He sighed, itching his head, "Besides, we have a game to get to, it wouldn't do to have your Keeper kicked off for fighting would it?"

Harry shook his head, "No I suppose not." He said, dusting off his clothes, "Hey, 'Mione, we'll see you later, I've got to get changed, see you after the game, okay?" He said, breaking into a run and dashing off to the boys' changing rooms.

Hermione raised a hand as the pair ran off, a half-smile on her face as they disappeared; her boys were growing up… and right before her eyes.

Harry stared ahead, his Firebolt held tightly in his hands as the doors swung open, permitting the players entrance to the field and he led the way, as the others fell in step behind him, determination written clearly on their faces as they met the Slytherin's with even pace and stern faces.

Malfoy smirked as he stepped up in front of Harry, "Ready to have your arse handed to you, Potter?"

"Seven years you've been saying that and you haven't yet won against me." Harry replied with just as much heat.

"Captains shake hands." Madame Hooch said sternly, watching the pair carefully.

Harry stuck out his hand first and Malfoy took it in a firm grip.

"Good luck, Potter." He said, this time with an almost genuine smile.

"Same, Malfoy, you'll need it more than I will." Harry responded, a small smile of his own gracing his lips.

"Ready?" Madame Hooch readied the Quaffle and crouched as the players mounted their brooms, "Set…" She blew her whistle suddenly and threw it to the air and the players all kicked off strongly, rising in the air like rockets.

Harry rose above the players, his eyes roving the field for any glimpse of the small golden ball that he and Malfoy both sought.

"Hey… Potter." Malfoy had sidled closer to him, "Um… you… you okay?" He sat up on his broom and swung his feet, almost like a small child. He seemed nervous asking Harry on his well-being, and it seemed that Ron wasn't the only one growing up around here.

Harry gave Malfoy a small smile, "Yeah, I am, thanks for asking." Malfoy grinned and returned his own eyes to the field as Harry felt a sense of… lightness settle around himself.

"_You're making me ill."_ Helios muttered mutinously, his eyes rolling, _"Making fluffiness with enemies."_

"You hush, I don't need you throwing me off." Harry returned, giving Helios a mental glare as he caught sight of a small shiny gold thing over by the teachers stands. Harry gave an evil grin, both on his and Helios part as he saw who the Snitch was floating beside:

Professor Snape.

Harry laid flat against his broom and rocketed towards it as Malfoy zoomed in, hot on his trail. The Snitch seemed to catch wind of their chase and darted around behind Severus' head, making the stiff professor start with the wind of its wings. Harry grinned twisting easily through the teachers and grabbing at the small golden ball as cries of: "Harry!" and "Potter!" and "For God's sake!" and "Oh Shit!" were heard all around him. He reached for the ball again, and almost had it, he could feel the tips of his fingers brush it as suddenly Malfoy joined the fray as well and he almost had it in his hands, had it not suddenly switched directions and zoomed straight down, beneath the teacher's benches and Harry and Malfoy had no choice but to follow the tiny flapping ball, nearly taking McGonagall's robes with them as they got entangled in them as they squeezed through the small opening in the bench, brooms and all.

Malfoy lined up with him as Harry dipped, dodged, and weaved his way through the cross-beams that supported the box, desperately reaching for the Snitch that remained just out of reach. He growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he flattened himself further against the handle of his broom, adrenaline zipping through him as he closed in on the Snitch, Malfoy just behind him.

"_Now!"_ Helios cried in Harry's head and Harry automatically reached out, grasping for the golden ball as it slipped out of his reach.

"Look," He growled mentally, "You do all the scary, vampire, must get stronger, all that other bullshit, you let me do the Snitch-catching."

"Pfff_… fine, I will." _Helios muttered irritably.

Harry ignored the crotchety half of his mind, returning his hand to his broom and pulling up as the Snitch reached the ground and soared off, out from beneath the teacher's box, its tiny wings flapping desperately to avoid the pair of Seekers hot in its pursuit. They zipped across the playing field, never wavering as they competed for their prize. The rest of the stadium had come to a standstill as they watched the two seekers, both desperately reaching for the treasure, both refusing to back down.

Harry managed to pull ahead, wincing as he felt the frigid December air start to set in, making him shiver as his speed increased even more. He felt an impact on his side and glanced over at Malfoy who had shoved up against him, trying to make Harry lose speed. "Knock it off, blondie!" Harry snarled, glaring at the other boy who only rammed into him again. "I said, knock it…" He faltered as Malfoy made a subtle gesture with his head and Harry looked away from the ball and towards whatever Malfoy was looking at. He felt like the entire bottom of his stomach fell out when he caught sight of a skull-like mask at the very back of the crowd. He looked back towards the Snitch, only to discover that it had disappeared while he was distracted, and he pulled up sharply, drawing himself up and away from the stadium, "What the _hell_ is that, Malfoy?" He hissed angrily as the Malfoy heir drew up next to him.

"The others. The ones whose parents are Death Eaters, or wanted to join him, that's what the hell this is, I figured I'd warn you before something happened." He replied, glaring at Harry, "I'm not a part of that, if that's what you're thinking."

Harry took a breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I'm not sure what to think… but, you said you're not one of them? Talk to McGonagall, make sure that _she _knows, so nothing stupid, like you getting arrested for… _this_ happens." He waved towards the masked kids, whom the crowd didn't seem to notice still.

"_Notice-Me-Not spell. Something you should endeavour to learn with some proficiency as well."_ Helios whispered to him.

"Shut up." Harry hissed.

"I didn't say anything." Malfoy looked puzzled and more than a little concerned suddenly as he glanced at Harry warily.

He hadn't realized that he had spoken aloud and he felt heat rise to his face, fortunately for him, it was disguised by the nippy winter air, "Not you, nevermind." Harry waved his hand dismissively, "What are we going to do? We can't just leave them there."

"We? Excuse me, I don't recall being part of your 'heroic regime' Potter." Malfoy raised his eyebrows, "I just pointed them out, thank you civil duty for the day, now it's your job to figure out what to do with them."

Harry made a face at Malfoy, "You're really selfish you know that?"

"No, not selfish, I'm just more in the favour of preserving my life instead of making myself look suicidal." He gave a fake smile.

Harry tsked, glaring at him, "Fine, I will, _and _I'll catch the Snitch while I do it." He said, feeling a sudden childish urge, he stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

"Will you now?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow, "Betcha can't."

"Bet I can. Care to make a wager?" Harry flew up next to him, a challenge in his eyes.

"Sure. If you can't, you have to… kiss a teacher." Malfoy said.

"And if I do… you have to wear a… costume of my choice. For a week." Harry grinned evilly.

"Hey no fair! That's an extended period of time!" The blonde protested.

"Fine. Add to mine." Harry folded his arms.

"Okay… the teacher is my choice and you have to act like you adore them for a week." Malfoy nodded, seemingly pleased with himself.

"Deal." Harry stuck out his hand and Malfoy accepted, the pair shaking on it.

"Good luck, Potter, your move." Draco gestured towards the Junior Death Eaters.

Harry grinned, pulling his wand from beneath his Quidditch uniform and cast a quick spell on himself before zooming towards the group of mask-clad offenders, circling them and making faces. This seemed to irritate the group enough to pull their wands from the robes and Harry flew back, making a loop around the stand and zipping up beneath the banners that hung down the sides, weaving through the cross beams again and shooting up from beneath and into the centre of them, snagging one of their masks and snapping it on them, making the person beneath yelp loudly and girlishly. The same one tore of her mask in outrage, revealing Pansy Parkinson with a bloody nose and her wand pointed threateningly at Harry.

"You'll pay for that Potter!" She screeched, pointing her wand at him and screaming out a particularly nasty hex, but it bounced from the shield he had erected earlier, rocketing straight back at her and hitting her in her already damaged nose. She howled, sitting up straight, horns sprouting from all over her face, a pair curling around her jaw and another set resembling that of a rams emerging from her forehead.

Harry laughed as people suddenly began to notice the young Death Eaters in training, many of them screaming and moving away as others moved in front in a valiant attempt to protect the others. He soared away and circled the field, scanning it for the Snitch and spotting the tiny speck of gold in the corner of the field. He zipped towards it, his stomach dropping as he realized that Malfoy was a few feet in front of him. He flattened against his Firebolt, quickly pulling up next to the blonde and pulling ahead of him, his hand nicking the small ball towards him and he used his other hand to snag it from the air and immediately pulled up, the Snitch clutched tightly in his hand, a victorious grin on his face.

The crowd went wild, some cheering loudly and others booing (mostly the Slytherins), as Harry claimed victory for the Gryffindors.

"Nice job, Potter, now for the teacher…" Malfoy had a decidedly devious smirk on his face.

"Wait, but I caught the Snitch, I won our bet."

"Ah, ah, no you didn't you said you'd catch it _while_ you were chasing off the Junior's not after." He said, wagging a finger.

Harry felt all the blood drain from his face, he had taken the bet and he had lost. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! _

"Now, Potter, your teacher." Malfoy grinned evilly, "Your teacher, is Professor Snape."

* * *

Ohhh, Malfoy's evil. Lol, see you next time. 


	16. The Bet Part 1

Woah. Twice. In one week. Damn I'm good.

* * *

It was the day after the match, and Harry was doing his best to avoid going down for meals so he could skilfully dodge the surly dark-haired professor. He was hiding in the dorms wondering first off, _how_ he was going to pull this off, second is _why_ he made the bet in the first place. He was dealing with a Slytherin, he should have known better than to fall in with a Slytherin, betting or otherwise, he should have know that Malfoy would find a way to manipulate it to his way.

"_Honestly, I don't see why you're taking this so hard, you have to fawn over a deliciously sexy man, and you get to kiss him."_ Helios glared at him, urging him to go and seek out Severus.

Harry rolled his eyes, "Room of Requirement, here I come."

Helios glared at him, _"You're not backing down on your word are you? The great Harry Potter is refusing to take up the banner and backing down on a bet that _he_ instigated? That doesn't seem right…" _Helios smirked to himself, he knew he had hit the right nerve Harry despised being called coward and he rose to the challenge of his honour.

"I am _not_ a coward. I'll prove it! I'm going to march into the Great Hall…"

"_Yes, and then?"_

"I'm going to sweep up to Professor… no, Severus…"

"_Yes, yes…" _Helios nodded eagerly.

"I'm going to pronounce my undying love!" Harry hopped up onto his bed.

"_Only one more thing!" _

"I will kiss him!"

"_Yes! Yes! Yes!" _Helios punched the air.

"Then I'll likely run away to the Room of Requirement." Harry sighed, falling back onto the bed, and grabbing a pillow to press over his eyes, "When is dinner? Or maybe I can give the Dark Lord a personal invitation to the castle, I can avoid this if the castle is in mortal peril..." He glanced around, absently wondering what owl he should use. Probably a school owl…

"_Potter! You idiot! Get your arse down there and make with the proclamations of undying love! Before _I_ do it and make you look like more of a fool… oh, wait… You go ahead, there's no way I could make it any worse." _Helios retreated then, withdrawing to the back of Harry's mind.

"Thank you for the support… arse-hole." Harry mumbled, rolling off his bed and grabbing his robes, a ball of 'Oh gods this is going to be a nightmare' forming in the pit of his stomach as he made his way down to the Great Hall, his dread growing with each step he took until finally he had to stop and take a breath to steel himself to face the most fearsome teacher Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had ever housed, the King Cobra of the Den of Snakes, the Bat-like Brewer of Bilious Blends, the Architect of Aromatic Adulterations….

"_You neglected to mention sexy."_

The Sexy… wait, "Hey!" Harry reprimanded the other half of his mind.

"_The Seductive, Snarky, Son of a Bitch... my bi…"_

"Shut it!" Harry yelled aloud, shaking his head, and received several strange looks from the students who were just arriving to dinner, "What are you looking at?" He asked, giving a slight glare, making the terrified second years squeak and vanish inside.

"_Oh, right Potter, terrify some early years, make a real reputation of yourself." _Helios said sarcastically, "_I'm sure Stupid Mortal would be proud." _

Harry graced Helios with a mental glare and pushed off the wall, spinning on his heel and facing the enormous doors of the Great Hall, taking a deep breath and pushing the doors open enough for him to skilfully slip through, sneaking to the Gryffindor table...

"Hey Potter."

Harry froze, turning slowly to face the blonde who had spoken, "Malfoy. How… pleasant to see you."

"Funny, you don't seem thrilled." Malfoy smirked as Harry faced him fully.

"Really?" Harry was sweating slightly now, "You must be mistaken, I'm always happy to see your shining face… mind you, I would have enjoyed it more were I able to see you in the outfit I picked out."

Malfoy grinned in return, "Oh, kinky now are we Potter? Had it saved up just for the occasion?"

"_Yes!"_

"Nonsense! I just had it set aside." He dusted off the sleeve of his robe absently, praying that the blonde couldn't see the beads of sweat he could feel forming on his forehead. "Well, now that I'm here, might as well get something to eat, yeah?"

"Like… what exactly?" Malfoy arched a single eyebrow in that infuriating way of his.

"Just something small, I wouldn't want my breath to smell."

"Of course, Potter." Malfoy's eyes flashed maliciously as he made his way back to the Slytherin table.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, grateful the great Slytherin Prince had decided to leave him in peace for the time being. He rushed over to Ron and Hermione, planting himself in between their conversation, "Hey guys." He breathed.

"Oh, please, take a seat, it's not like Ronald and I were carrying a conversation or anything." Hermione reprimanded.

"Oh, I'm glad, I'd hate to interrupt anything important." He said, leaning his head on his hand to face her.

"Oh…" She huffed, throwing Harry a half dirty look before returning to her meal.

"So, what's got you hot under the collar mate?" Ron asked, glancing at Harry.

"Nothing." He replied quickly, too quickly and he knew it, Hermione and Ron were going to likely kill him, for different reasons of course, Hermione's being because of his reckless endangerment of his person, and Ron for… reckless endangerment of his person. So perhaps they might kill him for the same reason, but they had different drives behind the theory… in theory. He sighed, pushing food back and forth across his plate as he debated with himself on how to go about dealing with this… issue he seemed to have… somehow come across in recent times. He took a swig of pumpkin juice, ignoring Ron and Hermione's piercing stares, both demanding an answer from him _this instant_, but for the time being, it was safer to leave them in the dark. For all of them.

"_So… how do you plan to work this out. The whole school is watching, and they're going to notice even more when their beloved Boy Hero goes running up to the teacher's table. 'What could he possibly need help with?' Then they will discover… what exactly Harry Potter, Boy Wonder, needs _help _with, and only the… how did you put it? Bat-like Brewer of Bilious Blends, can _attend_ to." _Helios snickered.

"Helios… You're always there with that salt-shaker to dump in the wounds when I need it most." Harry said sarcastically.

"_Glad to be of service, Shell Boy."_

Harry sighed loudly, placing a bite of potato in his mouth, it tasted vaguely like metal, he reflected, glancing up at the Teacher's table, his eyes skating over the group until it settled on the one person he didn't want to see most at this particular point in his life.

Professor Snape sat next McGonagall, looking bored out of his mind as she talked animatedly to the stiff professor, his eyes almost seemed to droop as she continued, one cheek resting on his hand as he propped his elbow on the table. The coal black eyes turned away from the woman, roving over the students, resting more frequently than not on the Slytherin table, as usual.

Harry stared at him for awhile longer before he was shaken from his reverie by a delicate hand on his shoulder.

"Harry?" Hermione said worriedly.

"Hmm?" He asked, looking at her, blinking widely.

"Are… are you certain you're well?" She bit her lip.

"Of course 'Mione, why do you ask?" Harry cocked his head slightly.

"Well, your fork… you, ah, ate part of it." She replied, glancing at him worriedly.

Harry looked at it, raising his eyebrows at the missing chunk, "Um… it was already like that when I picked it up." He grabbed a napkin and spit out the remains of the fork into it, hoping to hide the fact from his friends.

"_Brilliant, Shell Boy, impress him with those fabulous jaw muscles of yours. I'm sure he would be duly pleased to take them for a test drive. Mind you… you're not going to be the one on your knees." _Helios chuckled.

Harry paled, "Augh! I don't need to hear this! My poor virgin ears!"

"_WHAT?!"_ Helios bellowed so loud Harry winced, _"You're a virgin! How…?! But…?! I thought….?! With…?! Weasley!?" _

"No. Just kissing… and the occasional grope." Harry replied quietly.

Helios huffed, _"Well, we'll fix that tonight."_

"Wait, what?" Harry protested mentally before he felt his legs move not of his own accord, swinging over the bench and planting on the floor with a sure step, his demeanour becoming cool and collected as he stalked up behind the teachers table.

The chatter in the hall still seemed to be going strong, or they were all talking about him behind his back (which wasn't unusual), and the only ones it seemed, who had noticed him, was Ron and Hermione and a few of the Gryffindors. Harry glanced out of the corner of his eye, Malfoy had noticed suddenly and he was quickly getting the rest of the Slytherin table interested as Harry approached Severus. Soon enough, the brief respite came to an end however, and the silence was near deafening as he tapped Severus on the shoulder.

The dark-haired professor turned his head, and Harry grabbed the collar of his robes, hauling him upwards, meshing their mouths fiercely and demandingly taking over the Potions Professor. His teeth nipped almost cruelly at the (surprisingly) soft lips that were lax, whether with shock (which he was betting on) or indecision (which Helios was hoping for), it was anyone's guess. Harry pressed the austere man back against the table, leaning over him and placing his hand flat next to his head as it hit the wood.

Severus shifted beneath him, the lips moving just so against his, enough that Harry was startled back, righting himself just as quickly as he had pulled the Professor to him. Harry was pale, and the adrenaline running through his system was enough that it made him quake as he shoved his hands in his pockets to hide it, "So… twelve inches you say." He said, shattering the silence of the Great Hall with his rather loud question.

"Ah…" Professor Snape seemed almost unable to speak, still sprawled on the table, looking thoroughly molested.

"Of parchment!" Harry said quickly, suddenly realizing how bad his statement had sounded, "On the report. The parchment. Twelve inches… of parchment. For the report."

"Yes." Snape said, blinking quickly up at the ceiling, still quite bewildered, "On the report. You need twelve inches. Of parchment."

"Right then. Thanks for your help." Harry turned, walking out quickly through the teachers entrance at the side.

Snape slowly sat up, a small bit of mashed potatoes sticking to the small of his back (he reflected later that it was a good thing he ate so little) and a boiled carrot stuck to his shoulder blade and whipped cream in the ends of his hair.

McGonagall reached over, scooping up the bit of cream in his locks, "Well. I believe this is mine." She said, making an almost futile attempt at putting it back on her jell-o.

The following silence was broken by the dual chorus of, "I'm going to kill him." From Ron and Hermione as the both got up at the same time and tore out of the Great Hall, both intent on finding their friend and check him into the Hospital Wing… _after_ they were finished with him.

Harry quickly paced the hall for the Room of Requirement and vanished inside, slamming the door shut loudly behind him, "I can't believe you fucking did that you son of a…"

"_Don't say it Potter, you'd be insulting yourself."_ Helios said, calm as could be.

"Dammit! Don't use that goddamn tone with me, that _fucking _tone!" He bellowed, an image of the long dead vampire coming up through Harry's need to see someone to argue with.

"That_ tone?"_ The image asked, raising his eyebrows, _"And what, pray tell, would that tone be?" _

"The one! That one! The one you use when you're patronising me!" Harry lashed out angrily, hitting the image square in the nose.

"_Hey!"_ Helios protested, _"That's my face you're banging up there!"_

"Then come out here and let me take it out on _you!_" Harry flew into a fury, throwing everything he had been taught in the past three weeks at the now-tangible image, even though he knew it would get him nothing but exhausted.

"_Aw, the Baby Shell all sexually flustered, he doesn't know what to do with the tension. Is it the fights that get you off? Is that why you were always so relaxed at the end of every year?"_

Harry screamed, having no other way of expressing his anger at the other whom he shared his body with, launching a series of uncoordinated, blind, attacks that rattled the room itself, making the perceived images of the training floor and Helios flicker as Harry's own magic tangled angrily with that of the room's.

"_Come on, is this all you have? Just enough fury to tickle the Room of Requirement?" _He snickered, _"Tickle-Me-Potter, is that all you'll be known for, making the Stupid Mortal laugh do death?"_

"Shut up! Shut up! _Shut up!" _Harry snarled, his eyes flashing a poisonous green as he felt the ground beneath him begin to shake, dust unsettling from the roof and drifting down, showering the bickering pair. "How dare you! At least I don't need rape to get me off!" He said, baring his teeth at the mirror across the room.

Helios was silent for a moment, _"How dare you."_ He growled.

"How dare I? I don't let people walk all over me as much as you are led to believe, _Master Helios._" He spat, "Don't you _dare _take what is mine and use it against me, _especially _my own body."

Silence fell over them and the castle finally stopped moving around them, Harry breathing heavily as he flopped down, his legs folding beneath him, unused to expelling so much energy in one go.

"_Well."_ Helios said, breaking their standstill, _"He likes us."_

"What?" Harry inquired, too tired to care.

"_He kissed back."_ Helios responded quietly, seeming more subdued after Harry's outburst.

Harry rolled his eyes, "So what? There are worse people to kiss than me, I suppose." He sighed in relief as the Room made a bed beneath him, recreating the image of the Gryffindor dorms. "… It was better than kissing Cho."

Helios glanced at him.

Harry crawled up to the pillows, "And Ginny." He said, his eyes turning downwards to the red/gold of the comforter, "And, even Ron."

"_Well, see? Isn't he better all around for us?"_ Helios said chirpily.

"I have no desires for your idea of good thoughts." Harry said with some acid in his voice.

"_All right, all right, fine, just… think about it, will you? He looks better, he can keep all those annoying reporters away, he know Legillimency, he's sexy, and I'll bet he looks good in leath…"_

"I said none of your 'good thoughts'" Harry growled.

"_Yes, Shell Master."_ Helios sighed, _"I'm going back to my box."_

"Fine, go, let me sleep, I'm tired."

"_Oh, and by the way, you do remember of course, we need to keep up this adoration thing for a week, right?"_ The vampire inquired before disappearing inside, _"Oh!"_ he stuck his head back out, _"And don't forget to feed! Don't make me do it again!"_

"Okay! Just go away!" Harry snapped, forcing the irritation into the box and slamming the lid shut. A muffled sound came from the box, but Harry was too far gone to care.

* * *

So that's that. Harry's kissed him, and we still have the rest of the week to go! Jolly grand, dearie, Jolly grand! ... (needs sleep... is extremely sleep deprived) 


	17. Bloodshed and Ability

Ehehe... It's longer! (grins weakly) Um... Forgive me. Life is a terrible mistress...

* * *

Harry yawned, stretching languidly as he felt his bones pop, providing him with well-deserved relief after last night. He blinked, discovering that he had stayed the night in the Room of Requirement, but still unable to find it in himself to care very much. It was comfortable here and he was sure to have died by Ron and Hermione's hand had he returned to the dorms last night. At least now they had had time to cool off. He rolled out of bed, grateful that it was a weekend and he was free to sleep in as he pleased.

"_Good morning, sunshine, feeling better today?"_ Helios said cheerfully.

And with those few words, Harry's good mood came crashing down around him, "You are nothing but a headache." He groused, pushing Helios to the back of his mind, hopefully being able to ignore him today.

He peered out of the room as the stuff he needed vanished and snuck down the hallway, dodging into shady corners, making sure he was well hidden until…

"Harry James Potter. Might we have a word?" Hermione's voice made him freeze up in fear. Her voice didn't sound pleasant.

"'Mione? How are you?" He said turning to face her and an oddly controlled-looking Ron.

"Irritated." She said shortly, "Where have you been?" She said in a Molly-esque tone.

"The Room of Requirement." Harry replied, looking between her and Ron warily.

"Ah, is that it?" Hermione said, her eyes turning into daggers.

"Well, yes, I…"

"You what? You… kiss Professor Snape and, oh, vanish the rest of the night, no explanation, not even a word of warning, you just, simply _vanish!_" She hissed at him.

"Yeah, what she said." Ron put his two cents in.

"Look, I'm sorry, I…"

"You what?" Hermione stepped close to him, "You better start explaining mister."

"'Mione, please, easy on the imitation of my mother… please. You're starting to spook me a bit." Ron said, stepping next to her.

"Sorry." She huffed, obviously not caring much, "You are coming with us…"

"Hermione, I'd love to, but right now, I need… to…" Harry made to back away, 'Get… my things! From the tower, so I'll be seeing you, bye!" He darted away quickly, fortunately evading them for now as he made his way up to Gryffindor Tower.

The Fat Lady scrutinised him as he came up, "And where have you been?" She asked sternly.

"Serpens excivae." He said, forcing her to open without answering her inquiry.

"Well, I never…"

Harry rolled his eyes, climbing through the portrait hole cautiously, quickly making sure none of his classmates were here as he snuck upstairs for a shower.

* * *

He emerged about an hour later, his muscles screaming in protest as he left the glorious heat of the shower and stepped into the relative chill of the air. He shivered, towelling off quickly and dressing as fast as he could, throwing his clothes over his wet body in an attempt to keep the heat within him. He shook out his hair, feeling suddenly remorseful, an urge to apologise to Professor Snape rising in him as he realized the implications of his actions. No one would think that he had done it on his own will, no one would believe that he had confronted him freely, without Dark Magic. It would be: Severus made him do it, Snape performed Dark Arts on him, it would be another disaster, just like after Dumbledore had died, there would be hell to pay.

Harry slunk from the commons and down, hesitating before heading down into the dungeons. Helios was suspiciously quiet as Harry made his way down farther and farther, listening to the sounds of the quiet halls, silently curious as to why everything was so quiet before remembering that it had been a Hogsmeade weekend and the others must have headed that way, but the younger students seemed gone as well. He looked around cautiously, quickly casting a Notice-Me-Not spell on himself and placing his wand in his pants. He debated with himself as a fleeting feeling of thirst rumbled through his body, he would have to feed after apologising to Professor Snape, and he would, he told himself, pacing outside the Potions classroom door.

The door was flung open suddenly and the dour Professor peered out, his eyes sweeping the hall before completely settling on Harry, "Notice-Me-Not? I didn't think you were clever enough for such charms, Potter." He said coldly, his coal dark eyes narrowing in ire.

Harry immediately puffed up in indignation before forcing his own anger down and swallowing some of his pride, "May I come in, I have something I'd like to talk to you about… about yesterday."

Snape's eyes turned colder if that was possible, at this, "We have nothing to discuss on the matter, Potter, if you'll excuse me, I have a very delicate potion brewing and I must make sure it doesn't run over…"

"_He's lying…_" Helios said quietly, seemingly satisfied that Harry had come on his own rather than being forced to see him again.

"I'd rather like to speak to you, it's kind of important." Harry didn't break eye contact, his stubbornness wouldn't allow it, but he did shuffle his weight slightly back and forth.

Snape narrowed his eyes, a refusal already building on his lips, but Harry pushed past him and entered the room before he had a chance to say no, "Mr. Potter, I am very busy and if you don't…"

"Professor, please, shut the door, I came here to apologise, not to antagonise, please, let me say what…"

"So you can leave without a word, your conscious free of guilt because you came down here and _apologised_? I don't want your confessions of a teenage angstwhore, get out of my classroom this instant!"

"But…!"

"Out!" Severus turned away from him and started walking away from him.

Harry moved with the inhuman speed given him with his vampirism, taking hold of Snape's thin, almost fragile-feeling wrist and twisted him to face him fully, "No!" He said, leaning closer, able smell the different herbs that clung to his clothing, from thyme to rosemary.

"Potter…" Severus growled, glaring at him, but not moving as Harry's green eyes held his in a fierce glower.

"I came here to tell you I was sorry… Now… I'm going to say it…" Harry shook off the sudden red haze that clouded his vision, blinking fiercely, but his grip on Severus didn't waver, if anything it tightened.

"So… say your apology and go." Severus seemed to sense something was with Harry and his voice was cautious and almost jumpy as he allowed Harry to keep his hold, backing up slightly as Harry took a step forward.

Harry was fighting the encroaching bloodlust, shaking his head as he tried to focus on what Severus was saying, it had to be important, didn't it?

"_You idiot! You stupid, stupid Shell! I told you to feed! I told you!" _Helios cried out in his head, _"Foolish, moronic, imbecilic, stupid,… idiot!" _

"Stop it Helios…" Harry growled at the other that shared his mind, his eyes flashing dangerously before resting once more on Severus. He took another step and another until he had the older man pinned against his desk, "I'm…" His eyes lost their focus on Severus' and slid down the pale man's cheek and down the delicate column of his throat that, disappointingly, was covered by the man's austere robes. He growled and narrowed his eyes at the offending fabric, reaching up and yanking it away with a vicious tear.

Severus' breathing had picked up nervously and he pressed himself against the desk a bit more, "Potter, what are you doing?"

Harry was near salivating, his ears picking up the delicate rhythm of the pale man's heartbeat throbbing in his veins. His eyes were dilated and focussed on the vein that rested just beneath the skin, pale blue and pulsating against the skin, "I wanted… to say… say…" He blinked again, trying to take his eyes away from that vein, to no avail, his body cried for what Severus seemed all too… well, maybe _less_ than willing to offer, but he didn't have any protests as of yet, that had to count for something. He was suddenly aware that his teeth were poking uncomfortably into his lower lip and the lovely blue vein was just in front of him, all he had to do was lean forward, take what he wanted. However, he had morals, he couldn't just _take_ from the Potions Master…

"_Oh for hell's sake, you're already here stupid! If he didn't want it he would have pushed you away already!" _Helios practically screamed at him.

Harry leaned forward, his mind already made up and placed a delicate kiss on the hammering pulse beneath the surface, a faintly possessive growl working its way up his throat as he dragged his tongue over the skin.

Severus' breath was ragged and gasping, exciting Harry into furthering his explorations of the man, kissing down his throat and nipping lightly, making him wriggle against him, "Potter…" His voice trailed off as Harry's hands came up to grip his upper arms in an unforgiving grasp.

"Harry." He choked out, "My name is _Harry._" He emphasized the point with a rough voice, leaning into him, his eyes once again captivating the others with their intensity. He leaned down, placing a kiss over his pulse point before biting down with a quick flex of his jaw.

Severus cried out, his arms coming up and gripping Harry's tightly, flinging his head back, "Harry!" His voice strangled and almost a squeak.

Harry groaned loudly, pressing himself flush against Severus as blood ran into his mouth, hot, thick, and heavy. He leaned forward, forcing Severus to come down with him until they were both laying on his desk, one of Harry's hands splayed against the heavy wood near Severus' head, the other clutching his hands in a superhuman hold, preventing them from interfering with his feeding. He could feel something pressing rather insistently against his hips and he gave an experimental grind, earning himself a pleasure-spiked hiss of approval from the body doing its best not to writhe beneath him.

"H…" Severus tried to say something but was cut off suddenly as Harry thrust his hips against him again.

He smirked against his bite and growled lightly as he felt Severus give a hesitant roll against him, shivering and pulling away, a dribble of blood trickling down his chin and neck as he licked his lips. Stained with Severus' blood, but not particularly caring at the moment, he leaned down and captured his lips in a searing kiss; devouring the stiff man beneath him in more ways than just one. His hand moved up and tore at the robes that prevented him from touching him, touching this man… He growled as the tiny buttons refused to come undone and simply tore them free, sending some sticking into the wall.

Severus broke away from the kiss, arching up into Harry with a faint groan, clutching at his shoulders, as if wanting more, but resisting from asking. A faint plea in his face as he pressed himself against Harry again, his eyes were glazed over in long-unsatisfied lust, begging Harry to continue.

Harry moved against the body beneath him, leaning down and piercing Severus throat again to feed, earning himself a full-throated groan from Severus. Harry shoved aside the garments that impeded him from getting to the soft flesh underneath. He ran his fingers over the pale dusky nipple that was suddenly exposed to the air, earning a growl of encouragement. He pinched it lightly, rubbing it between his fingers and drawing another mouthful of blood, shivering as the taste ran through his system, heady and powerful, making him tremble as Severus arched up against him, grinding and writhing beneath Harry's ministrations.

He released Severus' neck once more, drawing his mouth to the already abused nipple and sucking on it, cautious of his sharpened canines, but releasing Severus' hands to play with the other. Severus whined slightly, pressing their bodies together and dragging Harry's mouth up to his, crashing their mouths together, Harry's teeth catching on his own lips and cutting them, mingling their blood. Harry slowed down their kiss, running his hand down Severus sides, rubbing the soft flesh he found, tangling his tongue with Severus', rubbing his hips with the pads of his thumbs. His teeth cut into Severus' lips and tore his own up once more, sharing a little bit of his blood and taking a bit more of his, a little couldn't possibly hurt.

Severus suddenly became insistent beneath him, pressing his hips urgently against Harry's, wrenching a soft cry from Harry. He thrust his hips faster, the mild discomfort of their erections against the harsh feel of underclothing was pale in comparison to the pleasure that waited them. Harry's hands played with Severus' nipples a bit more and he came with a cry, arching his back, his face contorting in pleasure, bringing his legs up and around Harry, pressing Harry tighter to him. Harry growled, meshing their mouths once more and biting into Severus' lip, the rush of adrenaline laced blood forced him over the edge as well, and he shuddered, his fingernails clawing at the hard wood of the desk beneath him dragging up a few spirals of sawdust. He gasped for unneeded breath as Severus took his time regaining his bearings, his black eyes hazy with residual pleasure as he clung to the aftermath of his orgasm and his lips and throat bleeding sluggishly as Harry dragged a lazy tongue over them to encourage healing.

Harry looked down at the Potions Master, feeling obliged to sweep a lock of hair from his eyes and watch him come down off his euphoric high. He murmured a cleaning charm and stepped back from Severus as exhaustion took him and he fell asleep on top of the desk. Harry really didn't blame him, between the amount of blood he took and the molestation he had submitted to, he had to be tired. He picked up the lanky man and sat him down in his chair, gently laying his head on the desk, conjuring up a pillow for him to lay on, conveniently embroidered with a bottle green 'HP' in the corner. He smiled softly, turning and leaving quietly to let the man sleep.

* * *

A few hours later he found himself in the Room of Requirement, pulverising dummies that flew his way, his wand thrown in the corner, useless. Helios had sealed him off from his magic for the moment and was forcing Harry to fight hand-to-hand, and Harry was angry. Not for molesting his professor as it should have been, no, he couldn't find it in himself to hate that or himself for that encounter, no it was the fact that he didn't care that he hated. He felt he should have felt miserable for what he had did, but instead he had this self-satisfied feeling that burrowed deep down inside and flowed through his entire being and he hated it.

"_Stop it, you're making me sick." _Helios said, _"You people and your emotions, always getting the better of you. You have too many, I can say I was never stressed about something I enjoyed. I never regretted anything I've done."_

"That's just it! I don't either! I should! Gods I should feel like rushing and apologising and begging him not to kill me and any number of things really." Harry said in a rush, kicking away a flying dummy with a particularly vicious strike, making it hit the far wall and shatter into a thousand tiny little pieces.

"_Okay, take a break, Harry. You're going to kill yourself if you keep this up." _Helios said, the image reclining in a chair on the far wall.

"I don't see how that would apply to someone who's already dead!" Harry retorted, blocking a blow from a wooden dummy this time. He swung a punch towards the stomach of the thing, making the heavy wooden planks rattle threateningly with the force of his blow. "I'm a vampire." He stated, ducking under the swing of one as another came behind him to sweep his feet from beneath him and he jumped in response, "Shouldn't I have super strength or speed or something?"

Helios shook his head, _"You earn your strength. The human body can only hold so much power within it, and in doing so, the _human _body is limited to the ability it can gain. Every vampire you may meet who _does_ have super strength is because they have exceeded the amount the human form can withstand. Without training your body, you will never earn the fabled strength of the vampires will fail you. As for the speed, basically the same thing applies, train yourself you will exceed the amount that any human could hope to do."_

"And how…" He ducked the second dummy and kicked the first, his foot flying through the wooden planks and getting stuck. He growled, swinging his foot around and colliding the first dummy with the second, sending them both away and into the wall, where they remained, motionless. "Long does that take?" He asked, finishing his previous thought.

"_Roughly? A vampire who works daily and strives to do what you're attempting can exceed the human limit in about 10 to 20 years. Which is really good." _He said absently,_ "After all, we do live forever." _He shrugged, _"Well?"_

Harry cursed, that would take too long, he needed a way to get stronger faster, Voldemort would have massive amounts of power on his side, plus an army, plus his horcruxes… Harry shook his head as no more dummies came for him, "Keep pushing me, Helios, please." He said quietly, lowering into one of the stances that the image had showed him.

"_Spread your legs a bit more, and point your feet toward your enemy, especially if you're facing them head-on." _Helios murmured, understanding suddenly what drove Harry, somewhere deep down, he had a driving need to protect those around him, even though he may not know them, he knew others were paying for his sluggishness and for what he couldn't accomplish. Harry had a determined glint in his eye that Helios recognised for something he once had, before he had been who he was now. He shook his head, deciding he would help the boy now; perhaps it would atone for the denial of assistance he had given when the people he lorded over begged him for it. _"There is a way to… hasten the process, but it's dangerous. And it takes time to prepare. Old magick you'll be messing with, very old, almost forgotten, but for those of us who were there for its creation."_

Harry looked at him, his interest obviously piqued, "How long?" He asked, the green eyes narrowed slightly.

"_About seven months. I understand it's long, but you have to be patient with me. It involves a few magical artefacts and a few spells cast at different times."_ He thought for a moment, _"You know, what Voldemort did, it will be helpful, he can't capture you again in that fashion, but you have the ability to astrally project yourself and cast spells on your body outside of it. Also you're more tightly connected to your body, able to recognise it easier so you shouldn't get stuck outside of it when you project." _

Harry nodded with Helios, he could tell the younger model of himself understood him, "So, what do I have to do?"

A desk, parchment, quill, and ink appeared in the corner, _"Take down what I instruct you, it will take time to gather all of what you need and even more time to prepare, but it will get you what you seek. It will be dangerous, I'm warning you, and some of the ingredients of the potion are illegal, however, with a little persuasion, it shouldn't be so difficult to obtain." _Helios murmured a list of ingredients to Harry and the boy dutifully took them down, his eyes lighting up on a few ingredients he recognised, specifically the Basilisk venom and the ground Acromantula fangs.

"Is all of this for a potion?" Harry asked, standing and rolling up the list to tuck away.

"_Some of it will be used when you cast certain spells to be placed in certain areas, like a paste on your forehead while some dead things sits to the north, its eyes facing west or something. You will need 'Spiritus Vesco Consecrus' It's an old vampire magic book that you will need for the exact spell. You have a copy in the Potter libraries, I know, I put it there."_

"What if it was gotten rid of?" Harry inquired.

"_It wasn't. I hid it on there shortly before I moved on." _Helios quirked an eyebrow at him and gave a faint smirk.

Harry frowned at him, "And how long ago was that, exactly?"

"_Oh… about five hundred years or so…"_ He bit a lip, _"Mind you, when I hide something, it generally stays hidden."_

"Generally." Harry humphed, standing and kicking one of the dummies that still laid on the floor.

"_Contrary to popular belief, I know what I'm doing some of the time." _He retorted, running a hand through his hair and straightening it in the mirror beside the desk.

Harry frowned, glaring at the image, "What are you doing?" He asked, "You realize no one will ever see you outside of this room, right?" He huffed, running a hand through his own hair.

"_Hn."_ Was all Helios replied with, his eyes flashing to the boy. For just a moment he felt himself soften, confronted with this child, this child with such a burden, with such a weight. It wasn't fair, but the world was a cruel place to live, and Helios knew, it was because of the types like he was. Perhaps… perhaps this child, this small, almost insignificant hero, the next in a long and treacherous line of _his_ types, perhaps this was to be his redemption? He shook his head, turning away from the boy, he would know soon enough if he were to be redeemed, if… he closed his eyes, _"Come on, let me return to your head, you have your list, start writing your letters, and remember your bet. A true Lord never goes back on his word." _

"But… I'm not a Lord." Harry said, looking up sharply.

Helios looked at him, _"Yes, Harry, you are. Once you claim your title as Lord Potter, and Lord Black, yes, you most certainly will be. I'll help you write letters and make your claims on properties, etc, etc, and we'll have you ready for Wizengamot before the year's out." _He said seriously, pushing the Room of Requirement's door open and vanishing outside as Harry followed, shutting the door behind him firmly.

* * *

Please... don't hate me all that much... (hides) You know you love me... 


	18. The Bet Part 2

So, this didn't take me as long as I expected it to. I was impressed with myself and and rather proud... (giggles) Yay me...

* * *

Harry was sitting in the commons by the time Hermione and Ron caught up with him, writing letters and working on homework, Helios whispering subtle answers in his head, and a few grammar corrections. There were piles of parchment stacked next to him, crumpled and useless, some of them stumbling their way to the fire by pulses of absent magic that Harry emanated, his concentration focussed on his letters and in his writings so he didn't notice the duo come up on either side of him until they grabbed either arm and dragged him very nearly kicking and screaming up to his dorm. "What the hell are you doing?!" He demanded of them as they sat him down across from them on his bed.

"We're… well 'we're worried about you Harry, you've been quiet since the match two days ago and you haven't shown up for meals, we didn't interrupt you this whole weekend…" Hermione looked down, sitting and biting her lip, Harry could smell her unease.

"You're acting strange, all hushy and all we've seen you do is sit in that corner and send off letters. Hedwig came to you yesterday and you were so wrapped up in the letters that you didn't even notice her until she bit you and flew off!" Ron said, he was more angry than nervous, but he didn't seem to be over-reacting… yet.

"You've been reclusive, hiding in the library for hours and writing when Madame Pince kicks you out! It's almost like… well like you're being me!" Hermione pulled Ron next to her and fiddling with his fingers as well as her own.

Harry watched the pair of them, pulling one of his knees up and resting his chin against it, an amused look in his eyes, "Well, I'll tell you what I've been up to, if you're so concerned, I've been seeing about getting my title's instated." He said, pulling at the threads on the ends of his jeans, "A little birdie told me that I have a lot of properties at my disposal, as well as two Lordship titles. If I held them, I would be able to become a standing member of Wizengamot and have a say in the laws made and passed. I think it would be… a positive thing to hold in the future." He said quietly, avoiding the actual bulk of the letter sending he was doing, hopefully, this was all that Ron and 'Mione would pry into, for now.

"Really? You're going into politics?" Hermione seemed intrigued, and leaned forward her nervousness suddenly vanishing, "I never thought you were interested in all that, you seemed more like you didn't want anything to do with the Ministry."

"Who said I was getting involved with the Ministry? I said I was going Wizengamot, not Minister." Harry said, leaning forward as well.

"Well that's all well and good, but those papers can take years to go through." Ron said, flopping next to Hermione on the bed.

Harry smirked, "Not if you're me, it's not." He said, a devious looks spreading across his face, "I've already gone halfway through the process, the Ministry is talking to McGonagall to see if they can open a Floo here so I can go to the Ministry and sign a few of the papers I need. So in theory, I could be a working member of Wizengamot before the end of the year comes." He glanced between the two, "I could do all sorts of things, instate full citizenship for werewolves and vampires, or at least make the Court seriously think about such a thing, and oversee trials… I don't think I'd mind that all that much." He mulled the prospect over in his head. Helios was quiet now, seemingly understanding that Harry needed some time with his friends.

"You… You're really serious about all this aren't you?" Hermione asked, looking at him widely.

"Yeah, 'Mione, I am." Harry said firmly, "I want to make a difference after Voldemort is smoke on the moors. I want… I want to make others happy. I'll start with Remus." He frowned determinedly, his eyes flashing darkly, "and if anyone stands in my way… I'd like to see them try."

Hermione shifted, appearing uncomfortable with his ferocity, "Well, that's all well and good, but… The Ministry is rather corrupt, do you… do you honestly think that you can change a hundred generations worth of traditions, just because you're a hero?" She said softly, looking down, and embarrassed flush in her face.

Harry was startled, Hermione doubted him. He felt as if he had been delivered a physical blow, he looked at her, hurt. "I… Yeah, I do. Without a doubt, I'm going to un-corrupt the Ministry of Magic, with or without you standing next to me." He said quietly, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Oh, Harry, that's not what I meant… I… I'm just not sure…" Hermione stuttered.

" 'Mione, don't worry, it's a future thing, you don't have to concern yourself about it now." Harry turned away from her and stood, "Excuse me, I have a few more letters and an essay to write. I'll see you later, kay?" He shut them out and left, his cloak not even leaving a trace of a whisper in his wake.

* * *

Christmas came and went, nothing extraordinary happened besides a near fist-fight between Professor Snape and Professor Glasgow. McGonagall had to step in, reminding them both that they were to set an example to the students. She had to shoot an extra strong glare at Severus, which Helios thought was completely unfair on her part. The rest of the week was spent with Harry batting his eyelashes and blushing furiously, acting the part of the love-struck teenager rather well and the end of his week was nearly up, but the more he remembered, the more he became disappointed. The idea that he'd have to go back to hating Severus repulsed him and made him want to pour more affection on the man that had likely been shown very little in his life.

Severus, for his part, seemed to be avoiding Harry like he was dynamite, like one disruption would set him off on… something. He knew Harry's secret and was very aware of the mark the vampire child had left on him. Harry could tell in the way that Severus would look at him, almost staring for the entire meal period and look away abruptly if Harry glanced his way. Like it was Severus who had the crush, and Harry invariably found reasons to come into class even though it was still vacation. It made Severus endlessly sensitive to be in the room with Harry. He was especially fond of sneaking up on the Professor to announce that he was finished with whatever task he had assigned himself to do for the other man by the end of the day. Severus would act startled, or perhaps the austere man actually was a bit surprised that Harry was as quiet as he was. He would rant at Harry for a few minutes and Harry would listen raptly and leave with a smile and a seductive, possessive leer at the shorter man, before he would take his leave, the air instantly filled with tension and arousal.

Harry had gotten rather good in Potions and had excelled in the rest of his classes, he attributed it to Helios' good eye and knowledge about just about everything, made Harry almost a better student than Hermione, though he was careful never to let her know. He knew she would be devastated, even if it was Harry.

He crept up behind Severus again, serving detention for having been caught out of bed, he was cleaning the Potions classroom and reorganizing the Professor's ingredients. His eyes danced cheerfully as Severus turned slowly to look at him, suddenly becoming aware of the other's presence. "I'm finished." Harry said quietly, his eyes catching the Professors, both attempting to stare the other down.

"Then go." Severus replied, his eyes flashing with irritation.

Harry smiled sweetly, turning then, breaking their stare, "Thank you. I'll see you Monday Professor." He turned, running eyes up and down the Professors frame. He flipped his hair and trotted off, darting back up to the Commons.

There were several owls there when he arrived, most of them bearing packages of one form or another, all of them silent and watching the other Gryffindors walk by with dark looks. The other Gryffindors walked by quickly, avoiding the stares of the black flock. Upon seeing him, the group flapped to him, alighting on his arms, on even taking up residence on his head as they hooted for him to lighten their loads. He complied; gathering up the packages and setting off up the dorms, luckily still mostly deserted for Christmas holiday.

He tore into them, seeing the ingredients he had sent off for displayed before him on his bed, a breath of relief escaping him as he cast an Unbreakable Charm on all he knew could handle it, the other, more sensitive ingredients were carefully packed into a pair of clean socks and hidden at the bottom of his trunk. Helios was quiet, but Harry could feel his presence in the back of his mind, watching and doing a mental catalogue of his own. Harry was just waiting for Dobby to find the book he needed now.

Harry had sent Dobby to Godric's Hollow to find the book he needed. Kreacher was staying at the Black house with the Order of the Phoenix, serving them as per Harry's orders. Kreacher was none too pleased, and Harry liked it that way, he thought as he hid the ingredients in all the places he could imagine. Mostly in the hidden compartments of his trunk and some were cleverly stowed away with his potions ingredients, those that looked like the rest of his kit and weren't able to be recognised unless one had intimate knowledge of the ingredient. Like Helios for example, or Severus for that matter, he would have to be extraordinarily careful around him when he was in class.

Harry stood, hearing a loud crack, his hands up and a dangerous look in his eyes as he looked at the intruder. He breathed, it was just Dobby, bearing a book near twice his size, shaking under the weight of it as he handed it to Harry with care.

"Dobby is making sure that Harry Potter is getting what he needs for hisself." He said quietly. Harry realized suddenly that Dobby wasn't trembling because of the weight, it hardly weighed anything at all, but because he was terrified of what it was. He had recognised the book, "Why is Harry needing the Blood-Drinkers book?" He asked, his voice deadly quiet.

"Dobby… I need it because it will help me." He replied, putting the book on his bed, "I need it to be stronger so I can fight Voldemort."

"The magic that is in that… thing is being bad, very bad, Harry Potter…" Dobby said, "You is being careful with it, you should be. It sucks life just like the Blood-Drinkers is doing."

Harry nodded, "I'll be careful, I promise."

Dobby nodded and disappeared with a crack, leaving Harry in silence as he contemplated the book that was enough to have Dobby warn him against its danger as the end of his bet week came to a close.

* * *

Harry's head throbbed, flashes of memories, many of them not his own, all of them slipping through his fingers as he struggled to hold onto them. Whispers rocked him, all inaudible and strange to his ears, "No…" He said, reaching and grabbing the tail end of one, instantly plunged into a strange place.

"_Seritus!" _A voice cried, strangely familiar, and pale hands clutched for a bloodstained body. Black hair and coal eyes stared blankly ahead as the person crumpled, a familiar figure rushed to catch them, _"No, no, no… Please, gods no." _

"Helios?" Harry asked, reaching to the figure as the memory faded and fell away, slipping into the void, "No!" Harry reached for it, but a hand on his wrist stopped him.

"_Let it go, Harry." _Helios said, their green eyes meeting, _"Some things, you weren't meant to see."_ His eyes were solemn and laden with sorrow, lines were on his face that didn't seem there when they were in the Room.

Harry let his hand fall, "I… Who was he?" He pried gently, looking over the face.

"_He…" _Helios' face contorted and he turned away, _"He was mine. Only mine, I marked him and he gave himself to me… and I to him." _His hands wrapped around his torso, a shiver running through the vampire.

Harry stepped away, sensing that the other needed to be alone in his grief, and he surfaced to wakefulness with a gasp. His body was shaking and his teeth hurt, like… well he wasn't sure what exactly, but he knew he wouldn't get much more sleep tonight. Hopping to his feet, his mind made up, he went downstairs, sneaking down to the Room of Requirement, his mind forming the room that he wanted right now, and when he burst in, the room looked like a large playground.

Harry began tore off his pyjama shirt and stripped down to his boxers, discarding them in a pile off to the side, going through his warm-ups. He blanked out his mind, and just moved, simply feeling the magic flow with his muscles and his own power made his body sing like a beautiful harp.

"_Yes, one that still needs tuning." _Helios commented from the back of his head, _"Keep focussed, and put more force to the heel of your hand." _

Harry did as he was told as the image of the man in his head formed beside him, both falling into the familiar fighting stance, both sets of green eyes trained on the other as they rushed at one another, Harry wordlessly calling up a sword and Helios' already formed. They clashed, sparks flew and Harry's grunt from the impact was lost in the clang of metal against metal.

They danced. There was no other word for it, Helios was mostly on the offensive, but Harry managed to keep his ground, defending and parrying with clever counter-attacks that slowly went through Helios' fortifications. Their power, skill and speed were conveyed through their attacks and their defences, even though Harry knew he was nowhere near as fast, as strong, as quick-minded, as enabled as he needed to be, for the moment, he could let off steam and simply relax into their mock battle.

Helios moved, Harry fell, and Helios had him, like he always did, sword as his neck, but the look he gave was empty, hollow, like he was looking at someone else, somewhere else, some_when _else. He was almost hurt by it, jealously springing up, so used to the attention being on him he didn't know what to expect now that Helios wasn't looking at him.

The empty gaze flickered to him and changed, focussing on Harry again and he felt selfish, selfish for wanting to be the centre of attention, selfish for being what he never wanted to be, like Malfoy had told him he was. Like Snape… what were the pair of them? Harry sighed, falling back onto the mat, his eyes slipping shut.

"_Get up."_ Helios said, the swords in their hands vanishing.

Harry stood as he was told, his eyes betraying the hurt he felt at being so quickly dismissed, wincing as he felt Helios lock away his magic.

"_Now, use a spell on me." _His dagger-sharp eyes cutting into Harry's back.

"I can't, you locked away my magic." Harry said, turning to him.

"_So? Voldemort locks it away, is it going to stop you from trying to find a way around it?" _Helios glared coldly at him, his gaze provoking, egging Harry on to attack him.

"No." Green met green in a fierce battle, Harry's glare doing little to impress the vampire.

"_So pretend I'm going to kill you and come at me with a spell." _Helios' eyes flashed, daring him to.

Harry glowered, "Impedimenta!" He cried, raising his wand, and swishing it down fiercely.

Nothing happened.

Harry sighed, "It's not going to work." His eyes rolled.

"_Oh and I suppose you know enough about magic to know that this spell can't be worked around?" _Helios snapped, _"It's magic, it can do whatever it wants, it just requires the will of the caster behind it. Put your will into it Potter." _

Harry focussed on Helios, his frustration boiling to the surface, a smattering of anger and jealousy, and fierce will rising with it and he swung his wand wildly, "Impedimenta!" He hollered at the top of his lungs.

Nothing happened.

Harry huffed, "This isn't working."

"_No, you're being impatient." _Helios hissed, _"Keep trying. You have nothing better to do for the next couple hours anyways; you can at least be on your way to learn how to throw spells off."_

Harry huffed, his eyes narrowing as he stepped away from Helios, "Lumos!" He flicked his wand and again and again, no matter how hard he tried nothing happened. He grew more and more frustrated with his lack of progress while Helios stood there, watching, waiting, his face held the same cold arrogance it had held all day until Harry had finally had enough, "I can't do it!" He cried out throwing his wand away from him in his aggravation, "No matter what I do, it doesn't work!"

"_You aren't trying hard enough! You fail because you believe you will fail! If you do not trust in yourself and your magic, you will do nothing like you have been!" _Helios snarled, _"You are as worthless and stupid as many say you are, you are not worthy of doing what you have been chose and we are all doomed! I cannot stand the sight of your pathetic self." _

"That's not true!" Harry cried, furious, his eyes flared in defiance.

"_It is!" _Helios turned away, spitting, _"I pity you. I pity you because you do not hold the same faith in yourself that so many do. I pity you because you cannot become what they hope you to become and you will fall and they will watch their hero die. I pity you because you have killed the last hope the magical world has." _

His words were like venom, stinging Harry deeply as he grew very still. White hot and piercingly cold, fury swept him, his fists shaking as he clenched them at his sides, his hair falling into his eyes, "I dare you to say that again." He said, his voice deadly calm.

Helios looked over his shoulder, watching Harry from the corner of his eye, and loudly, pronouncing each syllable clearly and sharply, like driving a knife blade into Harry, _"I. Pity. You." _

Harry's face paled with his rage, his hand sweeping down, wandless, and a soundless shout radiating from him. "I don't want your pity!" He howled, the sound slicing through the room like a knife, a bright flare of green exploded behind his eyes just before black swamped his vision and the ground rushed up to meet him.

* * *

Um... I've written better, and it's like 2 in the morning right now. But it worked, and I decided I liked it, so we'll go with that, yeah? Thanks so much for all your patience, I love you all so much. See you later! 


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